


Mortals

by moodbyul



Category: Mamamoo
Genre: Angel/Demon Relationship, Angel/Devil AU, F/F, Fluff, Smut, i liked it so i just went with it, i thought of this idea on a whim, im not sure how angsty/fluffy this is gonna be though but lets just roll with it, smut right off the bat
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-05-25
Updated: 2019-08-20
Packaged: 2020-03-17 11:16:50
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 26,075
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18964162
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/moodbyul/pseuds/moodbyul
Summary: In a world where Angels and Devils exist, our primary focus falls on an Angel, an amnesiac Devil, a Nephilim, and a Fallen Angel. All four disrupting the flow of balance in the world, almost like the four horsemen of the apocalypse. Wherever their relationships might lead to, or end up, only God can tell.





	1. Encounter

**Author's Note:**

> Angel/Devil AU. A setting where angels and devils aren't fighting each other, but have different roles to work out to keep the world in balance.

In this world, angels and devils exist. They’re not those that you might think of, I’m afraid, but they clearly meddle with the human business. The angels heal the broken and the tattered, and the devils aim to please their desires. There’s a sort of balance going around, and these creations of God are free to roam around on one condition - to never get too involved, and to never get too uninvolved. That’s where things turn sou-

 

“-Hey, are you listening to me?”

 

It was Monday afternoon, and it was lunchtime for Hwasa, when this… preacher came about disrupting her meal, shoving her way into the seat across the tanned lady and started preaching all sorts of her own fantasy idea of “Angels and Devils”.

 

Hunger was eating at Hwasa, gnawing into her stomach as she continued chewing on her burger, staring deadpanned at the brunette across her. She couldn’t care less about this whole ordeal; but what was getting on her nerves was that she’d been tailing her for a few days now, and she wasn’t bent on giving up.

 

She blinked, expressionless, and continued chewing on her burger.

 

The self-proclaimed angel rubbed her face with both hands, sliding them up and down as she groaned in annoyance. What did she have to do to get her to believe her? She looked straight into her eye, rivalling the deadpanned gaze as she almost yelled again, “Like I said-”

 

“You’re saying I’m a devil, I’m too uninvolved, and God is gonna revoke me of my access to immortality and I’ll potentially die. Fwoosh. Vanish. Out of existence,” Hwasa snapped her finger, “Just like that.”

 

The brunette’s eyes lit up, her mouth agape and her form perching up from her seat as she leaned forward to express her excitement. She pointed at the tanned lady - still eating her burger - as she nodded in approval, “That’s what I’ve been saying! I smell devil on you, but you kept insisting you’re human! I’m trying to help you out here!”

 

Swallowing the last bit of her burger, and wiping her mouth, Hwasa gently sipped on her drink as she placed her hands in front of her. Her voice was calm and collected, a tint of doneness in it as well, “So, say I was a devil. What’s in it for you? Why are you helping me?” she took a look at the puzzled angel, “If I was gonna die, what’s it to you anyway? You’re not obliged to help me.”

 

The brunette sighed, “Look, I was programmed like this, okay? My natural instincts tell me to help the people around, it’s not my fault I was made this way!” She glided her hand down her face again, then perked up when a realisation popped in her mind, “Don’t you ever feel attracted to people with strong desires? No?”

 

“Not really, no.” Hwasa replied, chewing on her fries this time as she leaned her chin into her palm.

 

She groaned again, ruffling her head as she set it down on the table. Hwasa watched with amusement. The first few times this person had approached her, she thought she was trying to sell her insurance, but it was just amusing how she was just a believer of God. Not that it mattered to her anyway, since she was an atheist.

 

Taking a glance at her watch, Hwasa got off her chair and decided to leave, not saying a word to the weirdo clad in crop top and sweatpants.

 

“Hey, where are you going!” she called out as she trotted after Hwasa.

 

“Work,” she replied nonchalantly, “Money don’t just fall from the sky, y’know. I gotta pay bills and feed myself.”

 

The brunette raised a brow, genuinely curious as she walked beside her. She was even smaller when she stood up, about a few centimeters shorter than Hwasa was. “How long have you been doing this for?” she asked, unable to wrap around her head that a devil was _hungry_ and _working_ _to pay bills_.

 

“A few years, why?” Hwasa traced back to the beginning of time. She couldn’t quite recall anything past that.

 

“And your records? Do they date back further than the few years you’ve been working?” the angel pressed as they continued walking to the office building, “People don’t just pop up of thin air, lady.”

 

Hwasa took a deep breath, stopping in her tracks as she put her hands in front of her, agitated. “Look, I can’t remember who I am. But I could’ve gone by a different name, or something. My records gotta be somewhere, alright?” She was right in front of her workplace and she was almost late while this… crazed believer stopped her every few seconds. It was really getting annoying.

 

“Okay. Okay, okay,” she ran in front to stop Hwasa from moving further, “Just let me show you something, okay?”

 

Hwasa sighed again, closing her eyes to regain her composure. She really didn’t need this on a Monday. Okay, maybe this time it will be a little interesting, who know what tricks she might have up her sleeves to get her to convert. She agreed, nodding her head, “Okay, make it quick. If I’m late for work, you’re treating me to a meal.”

 

The angel licked her lips nervously as she nodded several times. “Okay, okay,” she took a deep breath, cold sweat dripping from her forehead. She wasn’t used to doing this in public where it might catch the attention of her other co-angels and devils. Her back reformed and feathers protruded out of her small frame. She winced in pain, not entirely fond of taking out her wings often, as it slid out from her back.

 

The feathers were white, glistening in the sunlight as she opened them up fully. It looked like it could shelter about 5 of her under each side of her wing as she stood in full view under the sun. Her halo beamed brightly, almost blinding anyone in her radius if they could actually see it.

 

She opened an eye, looking at Hwasa nervously as she stood extremely still for her to respond but was met with a cock of her head to the side, unaware of what’s going on.

 

Hwasa waited a few minutes, watching as the girl stood still for a while, exhaling and inhaling as if she was having difficulty breathing or in pain. Confusion struck her immediately. Was this some sort of performance? What was she waiting for? She tilted her head to the side and crossed her arms.

 

“So, what am I supposed to see?” she finally broke the silence.

 

The angel dropped her jaw, unable to believe what she’d just heard. “Y-You can’t… You can’t see it?”

 

“See what?” Hwasa tilted her head to the other side. She couldn’t quite make out what it was, but it seemed like a part of the building looked distorted, then normal again. She shook her head, squinting her eyes at the spot again.

 

She started flapping her wings anxiously, creating a flow of wind all of a sudden in the middle of broad daylight. “This! This! Can’t you see it?!”

 

The wind was strong, coming out of nowhere as Hwasa moved to cover her face and keep her hair in place. She didn’t quite understand what the angel was trying to get her to see, actually, as she rolled her eyes and shoved her out of the way.

 

Hwasa hurried into the building, waving a hand behind her as she shouted, “You owe me a meal, Wind!”

 

She stood in front of the building dumbfounded, her wings hanging loose and flapping weakly on her back. Her eyes trailed the silhouette of the black haired lady disappearing into the building. “I can’t believe it,” she said to no one in particular, “She can’t see it.”

 

* * *

 

The music blared in the background, strobes of light flashed, painting the blond haired lady in pink and blue every now and then. She stood by the bar counter, leaning her arm atop of it. She looked into the distance, eyes searching for a prey as she scanned the room swarmed with humans. Swirling the cup in her hand, she took a sip from it, licking her lips after as she listened to her friend trying to outspeak the jarring music.

 

“I’m telling you, Byul! She’s not human!” the brunette shouted, rivalling the volume of the music.

 

Byulyi could barely make out what her friend was saying with her attention elsewhere, “What makes you so sure about that?” she took another sip of her whiskey, “I mean, she couldn’t see your wings.”

 

She turned over abruptly, slamming the glass of alcohol she had in her hand into the bar top. “Really! She smelled like one!” she lifted her hand to her head, rubbing her non-existential headache, “And I was sure she saw my wings too… She was _really_ looking into it!” Her mind was wrapped around this mysterious lady who had the smell of the devil, yet had no recollections of her past at all. No wired programming, no immortal abilities, no purpose. Nothing.

 

She took another shot, glad that her body was immune to alcohol, “I mean, in all of immortal realm’s history this is the first time! An amnesiac! The first!”

 

Byulyi’s gaze was far, she tilted her head up slightly, catching the familiar figure that had caught onto her attention the past few days while she’d been hanging around here. She watched her climb the stage, wrapping her body around the pole, and Byulyi licked her lips in anticipation. Boy, was she in for a snack tonight.

 

Without breaking her fixated gaze, she tapped the brunette on her shoulder with her glass, “Yeah. I’ll catch up with you later, Wheein.” Byulyi moved away from her, not before she heard her letting out a grunt as she walked away.

 

Byulyi took a sip from her glass, maneuvering through the crowd with her small frame until she stood in front of the pole dancing stage, feasting her eyes on all the exposed skin of her meal tonight.

 

Byulyi licked her lips again, then biting it as she watched her do a sudden drop from the pole and catching herself before she hit the ground. She nodded in approval, breathing in her scent from afar. Adrenaline rushed through her, excitement running up her spine and impatience griped at her hands. She smelled amazing, nothing like all the other humans she’d smelled before; with a mix of desire and pleasure.

 

She continued watching her performance until the end; her sweat glistened in the spotlight while she spun around the pole, holding her pose in midair professionally. Her eyes were big and dreamy, her red lips thick and alluring, her pale skin was enhanced by the slick sweat sliding down her neck and collarbone, shining as the light bounced off her. Amidst all these, her black hair was the one that created the biggest contrast, highlighting all of her features as she basked in the spotlight. But what caught her eye the most was the beauty mark under her brow, making her seem all the more unique than the others faces she’d seen before.

 

The audience clapped and applauded her performance. Byulyi did so as well, though more interested in getting up close and personal with her when she got off the stage. She licked her lips again, _boy, was it getting hot in here._

 

Her breath was ragged as she moved towards the stairs down the stage, popping a mint into her mouth as she approached the dancer. She towered over her as she came a little too close to comfort, causing her to back away a little and look timidly into her eyes.

 

The smell was vigorous, filled with strong passion and desire. Byulyi leaned in to take a bigger whiff of her scent, planting herself into her hair as she whispered into her ear endearingly, “You smell amazing.”

 

Byulyi found her hand sliding around her waist and gliding up her bare back as she took another deep breath. Something about her didn’t smell human, but she was dying to have her right this instant.

 

The ravenette leaned closer, responding to her advances as well. She placed her hands around her waist, gripping her blazer as she closed her eyes and took a whiff herself. It wasn’t a familiar scent, neither angelic nor devilish, and she couldn’t quite tell what was drawing her in.

 

She turned her head as well, whispering back into her ear, “You’re not human,” her eyes slowly falling in place. Whatever she was, her scent was making her extremely dizzy and driving her crazy, making her pulse beat furiously and intensely. She could feel the itch between her thighs as she stepped forward, putting her legs in between hers.

 

“ _Neither are you,_ ” Byulyi’s voice was seductively low, she breathed again, “... _Not entirely._ ” She could feel the dancer’s thighs going up her legs, and she fought every inch of her to distract herself from the throbbing sensation in between her legs. She bit her lips sensually, breathing against her neck and nibbling on it a little. Her hand slid down her back and down her butt, cupping a feel of her nicely shaped ass as she gave it a squeeze.

 

A sharp inhale escaped the black haired woman as she felt her bottoms being kneaded. The hot and slick feeling of her tongue sucking and gnawing at her neck wasn’t helping the situation either when she let out a moan, grasping against the blond tighter and pulling her closer.

 

The smell was getting stronger and Byulyi felt herself getting intoxicated by it. Strong desires overflowed this woman as each second went by; with her actions causing it to further escalate. “Would you like to come with me?” she whispered into her neck, hot breaths grazing her skin as she started nibbling on her ear as well.

 

“Please-” her voice wavered as she let out another gasp, biting her lips and enjoying the feeling Byulyi was giving her. The hot tingling sensation jolted throughout her body each time she licked and bit her neck down to her collarbone.

 

The dancer felt a hand slid between her legs, feeling a finger put pressure against her clit as the blond whispered into her ear again. “It hurts here, doesn’t it?” She whimpered at her touch, barely finding the strength to stand on her own. The wetness in her crotch threatened to leak out of her garments any minute if she continued touching her like this single handedly. Oh, what would she do to her if she had both hands available?

 

She bit her lip, whining as she shifted herself to get a better feel of her. “Please…” she begged again, her hands clawing at her shoulders now as she struggled to find support.

 

Byulyi smirked, lifting her hand out of the mess, resting it against her side and leaning back to take a look at her. The smell could almost fill the room, and she was amused that no other devils were in sight. _All the more for me._ She was covered in sweat, panting and gasping as every breath released a little bit more of her scent. Oh, how she wanted so much to devour her right now.

 

“Well,” Byulyi began as she leaned closer, the smell of mint and alcohol mixing in her breath, “Since you’ve asked so nicely.”

* * *

 

The kisses were sensational. Soft red lips mashed against soft red lips as they closed the door behind them, hands fumbling to find the body of the other. Byulyi grabbed hold of her wrists, pinning them up above her head as she took a bite out of her neck - feasting on her bare skin as she slid her tongue downwards, exploring every part of her that she could.

 

Her scent was driving her insane, making her lose control of her thoughts as she savagely left kisses and hickeys all over her body. She wanted to devour her, consume her, savour her. She wanted to enjoy every last bit of her that she could, marking her all over and leaving no exposed skin untouched.

 

The blond’s touch was hot to her skin; and every time she ran her hands down her body, she could feel herself burning at the sensation. Every part of her yearned for her, throbbing sensations ran throughout her body, screaming and crying for her to place her hands over the other parts of her body as well.

 

She jumped at the taller woman, latching herself onto her as she held her head in place and started nibbling on her lips, her tongue searching for an entrance to invade her experienced mouth. Byulyi took the chance to remove her jacket and tossed it across the room before returning to feel the little demon in her arms again. Her heart was pounding as she stirred them onto the bed, causing Byulyi to lose her balance while she remained strapped to her waist.

 

She looked at the blond in her eye, hair a mess, gazing into her as she panted heavily for air. Their faces were dangerously close, noses touching and their breaths mingled. They stayed like that for a moment before Byulyi flipped them around, preferring to stay on top instead.

 

Pulling her blond hair over to one side of her face, she took another longing look at the raven haired lady. “What do I call you?” she was gasping for air from all the wild kissing. Her heart was pumping furiously as the adrenaline rushed to her head. She hadn’t felt like this for a while, not with anyone else.

 

“Solar,” she whispered as she tried to catch her breath as well, “Front name.”

 

Byulyi’s fingers trailed down her neck, then down her collarbone and her stomach. Softly leaving touches that only seemed to get her to long for more. Staring down at her full, swollen lips, she shifted her gaze back up onto her dark obsidian eyes, “Then, you can call me Moonbyul. Byul, for short,” as she resumed back to tease her with kisses.

 

It was killing Solar whenever Byul lifted her lips away from her skin, wanting her to place it there forever and all over her body. Her touches weren’t helping either. It was clear that she was teasing her, lightly grazing by her skin and leaving only soft touches where she would moan and beg for more. Byul was a sadist, and Solar didn’t like playing the bottom role.

 

Two could play the game. Solar held her finger up against her lips when Byul tried to lean in to steal a kiss from her, “Let’s take it slow,” she whispered, eyeing her lips, “I want to explore every single part of you tonight.”

 

Byulyi smirked, staring square into her eyes, “Me first,” as she started stripping Solar.

 

Her hands tucked underneath her black crop top, sliding it up and taking it off her entirely. Solar complied, raising her hands and letting her do what she wanted. She felt Byul’s hands move behind her, unclipping her bra and tossing it aside as well.

 

Byulyi shifted back, taking a good look at her before removing her tie and unbuckling two buttons from her shirt - releasing the trapped heat. Solar’s hands reached to help her out, unbuckling several more until her shirt hung loose and her black bra was in plain sight.

 

She grabbed her hands fumbling for the button of her pants and guided them up above her head, binding them swiftly with her tie. Byulyi leaned back again, enjoying the full view of her naked torso. Her chest was rising up and down rapidly, gaze dreamy as she stared at her, almost begging for more. Her ribs protruded and framed her belly perfectly, highlighting her abs furthermore.

 

Her breasts were a perfect round and her nipples were hard from all the heat. “Oh, you look _so tasty_ ,” Byulyi licked her lips again, this time slow, as she fantasized about what she was going to do to her all night.

 

Byulyi reached her hand out to cup a feel of her soft bosom, the other wrapping around her side as she appreciated her small waistline. Her fingers pinched her nipple, twisting ever so gently and watching her moan at her touch, then leaning in to put the other in her mouth as she began licking and sucking on it.

 

The inside of her mouth was burning her skin as Solar moaned in ecstasy, enjoying her touches to the brim. Each time she flicked her tongue and sucked on her nipple, a rush of adrenaline ran up her spine and the same trembling sensations vibrated throughout her body. She was impatient, but she wanted her to explore every part of her slowly and thoroughly - never missing out a detail.

 

Wrapping her legs around her waist, Solar shifted in closer, grinding herself against her crotch. Byulyi groaned, shifting her hands to grab her hips and pulled her closer. Crotch against crotch, she started thrusting herself against her as she moved her lips downwards - planting kisses all over her toned stomach.

 

The heat was arousing. Feeling too feisty, Byulyi ripped her shirt off, breaking apart a few buttons as she tossed her shirt elsewhere. She pinned Solar’s thighs up, gripping both her skirt and panties as she yanked them off her legs.

 

Her movements were slow, as each time she moved Solar anticipated for more. Byulyi kissed her calf, then moved further in to smother her thighs all over, and eventually finding herself at the entrance of her pussy.

 

Ragged breaths came in contact with her raw flesh, as Byulyi took a sniff of her scent. There was a strong sting and a pleasantry to her smell; spicy and sweet. It filled Byulyi with arousal, making herself twitch in response to the aroma invading her body like a drug.

 

She licked the entrance, making sure her tongue covered all the surface of her beautiful tasty flesh. Every time she sucked on her clit, Solar would arch her back and pushed herself further into Byulyi’s touch, craving for more. Jolts of excitement rushed up her body as Byulyi worked on her mouth, pleasuring the dark haired woman as she curled her toe in satisfaction.

 

It went on for a few minutes while Byulyi ate her out, sending her body into a violent reaction each time she did something with her tongue. Solar could only moan and beg for more. She really was a teaser after all, never giving her the full tour to utopia.

 

Agitated, Solar clamped her head down in between her thighs and flipped them around; she was on top now. She looked down onto the blond, looking all smug and breathless as she bit the loose end of the tie to uncuff her hands. “My turn now,” she threw the tie aside, lowering herself as she pleasured Byul the same way she did starting with her neck.

 

Her kisses weren’t as gentle as hers, however, as she left bite marks and bruises on her with her sharp canines. Byulyi groaned, her hand digging into her waist as she slammed her down onto herself. She moaned in response, hands gliding behind her back, unbuckling her bra and hurling it aside.

 

It was driving her crazy; _she_ was driving her crazy. No one had ever made her feel this way before, clouding her mind with so much arousal and temptation that she couldn’t even hold back. Solar licked her down, nibbling and planting kisses along the way down her stomach until she reached her pants. Scoffing, she clicked her tongue in annoyance as she struggled to get her pants off her. Sensing she had trouble getting it off, Byulyi gave her a hand, two in fact, as she unbuttoned and slid them off easily.

 

Solar was an impatient girl. The moment the pants were off, she didn’t hesitate to slide her hand down Byul’s crotch, fingers trailing her moist and wet pussy. She licked her lips, watching as she spread her open with her fingers. A blush crept up to her cheeks as she observed the slimy trail of wetness clung onto her fingers when she dragged her hands downwards, exploring her labia, teasing her as she played around her entrance.

 

Byulyi fought back her moans, arching her back as she struggled to get Solar to put her fingers into her. It was such a wonder how she managed to look so desperate when she was the one pulling the strings just a moment ago. Every inch of her was burning at her touch, dying to have her inside.

 

The sides of her lips stretched upwards while Solar watched her suffer, breathing heavily as she begged silently with her gaze and expression. It was so much fun teasing her. She didn’t expect her to be quite the shy one when she’d boldly approached her from the start.

 

“Beg,” Solar demanded, grinning as she twisted her fingers around the opening of her vagina.

 

Byulyi’s hand shot up to her face while the other gripped the sheets. The back of her hand covered half her face as she pleaded her with her eyes. Embarrassment showered all over her head while she shied away from her strong piercing gaze. Being exposed to others wasn’t something she was used to at all, and she refused to be under anyone’s command at any circumstances.

 

She felt Solar lift her thumb and planted it on her clit - putting pressure on it and sending sparks of electricity courses throughout her body. Byulyi threw her head back, accidentally letting out a small moan before biting on her hand to keep her voice in. Solar chuckled, finding her extremely cute in this situation, “Beg for me, darling,” she leaned into her ear and whispered alluringly, “ _Let me hear your voice.”_

 

With one hand against her womanhood, Solar slid her free hand up to remove Byulyi’s, watching her squirm in embarrassment. Her flustered face turned her on, causing the nagging heat at the back of her neck to burn up furthermore. She squeezed her again, this time making sure she had nothing to hide her voice from.

 

Byulyi let out something in between a moan and a yelp, turning her head away furiously and attempting to hide herself in the pillow. Solar sniggered while catching her in action. Grazing her lips over her neck, she whispered again, “ _Just like that._ ” Byulyi let out another moan, rushing to cover her face entirely when she felt another push against her clit.

 

She continued nibbling on her neck as her ears feasted on the delicious voices that was spilling out of Byul each time she sent her mind spiralling out of control. Solar was feeling bold today. She slid another finger around the entrance to spread her out further, then forced all three of her fingers into her. She was soaking wet, making it easy for her to push her way in with one swift motion.

 

The blond let out a muffled scream, biting onto her lips to keep her voice down. Solar was hitting her in all the right spots, sending shivers all over her each time her fingers twitched and rubbed against the walls of her vagina. Rushes of excitement, arousal and adrenaline coursed through her body everytime she pumped her fingers into her.

 

A high hit her, and she could feel herself climaxing at her fingertips. Her thighs instinctively closed up - save for Solar being in between them, squeezing her instead - and her toes curled, hands gripping the sheets as she orgasmed. Heat gushed up her body. Feeling breathless, Byulyi panted and gasped for air while Solar caressed all over her body, planting small kisses along her as she watched her calm down.

 

It took several minutes before Byulyi regained her composure and caught her breath. Solar was lying atop her, tracing circles over her bare skin while patiently waiting for Byul to say something.

 

She took the chance to flip them over abruptly, leaving Solar stunned and surprised as Byulyi wore an expression similar to hers earlier. Nasty thoughts filled her mind with what she was going to do to her. She looked so shocked and helpless beneath her, almost like a bunny caught in a trap. Boy, does she know what’s in track for her.

 

A glow of light emerged beside Byulyi as she reached her hand into it, pulling something out of thin air magically. It was nothing like Solar had seen before, and it was the first time she had seen anyone perform such a divine act. She stared in awe, watching Byul pull out what seemed like a… strap on? A massive one at that.

 

Solar watched as the glow dimmed, then shutting itself and disappearing as quickly as it had emerged. Her eyes observed Byul slip the equipment on with ease, as if she’d been doing it for centuries. She gulped, slightly afraid of what was going to come while Byul only grinned back at her - mysteries overload.

 

The dildo was slightly bigger than the average size and curved at the tip, meant to stimulate pleasure on the G-spot. The girth itself frightened Solar, figuring it might not be able to fit in her at all. Byulyi leaned in close, her hands sliding up her thighs while she positioned herself nicely in between them, “ _Payback_ ,” as she bit down on her neck and pumped herself into her.

 

Moans filled the air the moment Byulyi penetrated her unexpectedly. Solar’s claws dug into Byulyi’s shoulders as she tried to find any form of support to keep her upright. “Byul-” she gasped as Byul moved against her rapidly, hitting her in her most sensitive spots. How was she so good at this? This definitely wasn’t an experience that was acquired overnight.

 

Solar’s slid her arms around Byul’s neck and wrapped her legs around her waist, wanting more of that sensation as she pummeled into her over and over. Each time she slammed into her, the pressure hit both their clits as they moaned in unison - pleasure hitting the roof of their heads.

 

The very same high hit Solar and it didn’t take long for her to climax soon after, sending trembles down her thighs and legs and shooting her head back to enjoy the thrill rush. Just as she was catching her breath, Byulyi exited her and turned her over - positioning her on all fours while she leaned in from behind. Her breath tickled against her neck and she felt her whisper again, “ _I’m not done yet.”_

 

Her breath ended with a sharp inhale as soon as Byulyi plunged into her again; wrapping her arms around her waist and started planting kisses down her spine. Sloppy noises accompanied moans as she called for her name, “Byul-” but was cut off every time she slammed hard into her.

 

Byulyi was ruthless with her endless supply of stamina, as each time Solar climaxed, she’d pull her into another position and started ramming her over and over again. She started getting inaudible at one point, and her fatigue was causing her to drool all over - unable to mouth a single word.

 

It went on for several hours until she’d ran out of energy and Solar was all limp and gasping for air. Byulyi finally took off her strap on and tossed it across the room, panting for air as she joined Solar in bed. She felt sorry for the girl, having to deal with her monstrous appetite for sex. It wasn’t usually like this at all - she’d go for a round or two and called it quits but there was something about her scent that was driving her insane and kept her going for longer than she should.

 

Byulyi planted kisses all over her forehead and face when they’d finally took a rest, offering them as apologies as she smoothed her head and held her close. She lifted the blanket over them, making sure it would cover most of the dancer as she continued to place kisses on her head, chiming, “I’m sorry”s until she fell asleep against her, arms tightly embracing one another.

 

* * *

 

Morning approached and Solar squeezed her eyes open, motions groggy as she tried to figure out where she was. She felt herself embraced in the arms of another being, as she pulled back slowly and tried to observe the details on their face. _Blond hair, mole on eyelid, straight nose, pursed lips, small chin._ She thought for a moment, refreshing her memories as she went through the events of last night. _Right, her name was Moonbyul._

 

She looked so dreamy and peaceful, so different from the beast last night as she recalled Byul grinning and smirking down at her. She raised her hand, slowly examining her facial features while she grazed and trailed them down her nose, down her cupid’s bow and down the curve of her pursed lips. Her hand moved to shift her blond hair back, giving her a better view of her face. _Ethereal_.

 

Maybe it was her soft touches that caused her to itch and twitch, waking her up in the process. Byulyi fluttered her eyes open several times, then finally opening them fully when she’d noticed a pretty face staring back at her.

 

“Hey,” Byulyi greeted, feeling blessed that she woke in the presence of a beauty.

 

Solar giggled, her eyes turning into crescents as she beamed at her, “Morning.”

 

Byulyi could swore she was brighter than the morning sun, and her smile could salvage a drought land. How she’d give everything to wake up to her every morning, if she could just see her smile every day.

 

The guilt in her gut swirled in her as she remembered the night before - her savage side running wild and not giving the poor girl a break. She instinctively leaned forward to give her a long kiss on her forehead, closing her eyes to enjoy the moment as Solar did so as well. “I’m sorry about last night,” she apologised as she leaned back, taking a good look at her innocent face, “I pushed you too hard.”

 

Byul was surprisingly thoughtful and caring, and, to be honest, Solar didn’t expect that at all. Her smile turned into a genuine one, staring back at her in awe, “You’re forgiven,” she chuckled again, the same crescent shaped eyes appearing once more, “Only because you were amazing last night.” Her hand trailed over Byul’s face, tracing her features once more as she soaked in the details. She was… fascinating.

 

“It’s my first time encountering a nephilim,” Byulyi confessed, catching her hand and putting it to her lips.

 

Solar shifted her fingers to intertwine it with hers, locking it in place, “Really? I thought we were more common.”

 

Byulyi shook her head lightly, “You’re rarer than you think you are. The immortals aren’t too fond of your kind, after all. They get rid of you when they have a chance.”

 

“I’m surprised no one has come for my head yet, considering how I’m putting myself out there,” she played with their fingers, opening and closing them while Byulyi stared in amusement.

 

“Well, I’ll be the first,” Byulyi smirked.

 

They paused for a moment, gazing into each other and treasured the time. It wasn’t everyday that they go out and have a one night stand, and not waking up to an empty bed beside them. People hardly stayed for some reason, maybe because they were never looking for a deeper connection. But this was different - for the both of them. This was more than just a shallow hook up.

 

“Why do the immortals hate us so much, though?” Solar finally asked, breaking the silence.

 

“They don’t,” Byulyi explained, “Well, it’s more of an eyesore actually. You take up their jobs, even though you don’t need to, whereas they depend on it to survive.”

 

“How so?”

 

“The angels do good deeds, helping the mortals out whenever they can and leaving their needs satisfied. That’s their job.” Byulyi continued,” The devils on the other hand, satisfy the mortals’ wants. Sometimes leaving them wanting more, sometimes leaving them craving for something else.”

 

Byulyi took a look at Solar, making sure she was catching up with her. Her black eyes bore into her as she listened intently, as if it was the first time she’d heard about this. Her father never told her much about her devil ancestry anyway, leaving her to figure it out on her own.

 

“And this is where nephilims come in,” Byulyi paused, “You know how nephilims are made, right?”

 

Solar shrugged, “Devils and humans. Or, angels and humans.”

 

“Right,” she reaffirmed, “See, you guys are mortals anyway. You don’t need to satisfy wants or needs to live. You eat, you sleep, you do all things humans do except you’re good in bed or you help people out; it depends on your different nature. That’s why they get mad when you steal their jobs. You’re stealing their survivability.”

 

The information was slowly soaking into Solar, she nodded as she slowly understood the concept. It’s kind of like getting your job stolen by someone else and you can’t really do anything about it; she understood that much. But what puzzled her most was Byul. Was she not an immortal? Why was she speaking like she wasn’t one of them? And why _didn’t_ she see her as an eyesore like they did?

 

“Then, what about you?” Byul’s scent was giving off mixed signals since the first time she’d met her off stage. There was a strong angelic scent, yet different at the same time; distorted and tempting. “What are you?”

 

“I’m…” Byulyi began, pausing as she tried to find the right words to describe herself. She shifted a little in the bed, making sure there was plenty of room around before squeezing her back. Jet black feathers started forming from her back, sliding out from her shoulder blade, before transitioning to grey, then pristine white feathers around the core bone structure. The black feathers looked singed, almost like they were burned and heavy to the touch. And the most important thing, she had no halo above her head.

 

“... slightly different.”


	2. Angels, Devils and Fallen Angels

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Diving into the world of immortals, the angels start to explain the different types of beings there are in the current realm. The fallen angels are not who they seem to be, and neither are the angels or the devils. So, what - and who - exactly are they? And why have God forsaken them?

The sound of the copy machine filled the air as Hwasa stood by it, watching the printed papers slide out of the machine one by one. She wasn’t exactly paying attention to it, more like zoning out and pondering over some deep thought. Wind did make a point: She didn’t have any memory up ‘til a few years back and she couldn’t remember where and how she existed. She just… suddenly appeared out of thin air, lying on the cold streets while watching people waltz by. 

 

Hwasa shook her head, snapping back to reality and getting annoyed at the fact that she was getting bothered by such a silly hypothesis made by someone she barely even knew. Of course she was human, what else could she be? Devil, really? She huffed, laughing at herself. The thought of her being anything but a mortal was simply laughable - unthinkable in fact. 

 

But then what was it exactly that she saw back then? The invisible distortion of the office building, almost as if it was in a shape of something. Hwasa reflected deeply, her face scrunching up in front of the machine as she tilted her head, agitated at the unexplained mystery, “What was that…?” Her words escaped her mouth as she continued the private investigation in her head. She couldn’t quite remember what it looked like, but it was in a shape of… wings? Or at least, the distorted part of the buildings made the overall outline of the shape looked like something. 

 

A tap came on her head as she was brought back to reality, looking frantically in all directions for the source of impact. 

 

“What are you doing, all spacing out like that?” Loco smiled as he drew the rolled bunch of papers in hand back. He was a senior at work, and he was always nice to Hwasa when everyone else wasn’t - always patiently guiding her, teaching her and helping her out. She almost wondered why he was still single. 

 

His calming voice brought her back to reality, making her whip her head back and forth again. She was really out of it for the day and she didn’t like being so zoned out. Her face turned sour again when she remembered the source of her agitation, “It’s nothing, oppa,” she rubbed her temples, getting rid of the thoughts in her head, “Just some… distraction.” 

 

Loco looked at her, concerned, “Why? What is it?” 

 

“It’s… It’s really nothing,” she shook her head again. How was she going to explain some weird unreal phenomenal experience to him? Even he’d be weirded out, considering how weird he already is. 

 

“Tell me about it,” he urged. His concern turned into a smile, beaming as he looked at her enthusiastically. 

 

He’s right, she had to get it out of her system somehow. Maybe telling someone about it would make her feel better and confirm her own doubts that she is really insane or just seeing things. She tilted her head up, closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Here goes. 

 

“Have you ever…” she turned to look at him, brows furrowing as she struggled to find the right words to describe it. Her hands fumbled around, making gestures and circles as she eyed him, “Y’know… See… something you can’t quite explain…?” 

 

Loco followed suit, bobbing his head slowly as he stared at her intently, trying to figure out what she was making out, “Like…?” 

 

“Like… Weird… Distortion… Like…. Like y’know how steam gives you that weird distortion effect in the background? Except there’s no fire or enough heat to produce that effect? And this effect has almost like a definite shape to it…?” Hwasa slowly described, doubting her sanity every time she continued her sentence. She looked at Loco expectantly, hoping that he would be able to assure her that maybe she’s not that crazy. 

 

He bobbed his head slowly, nodding, then transitioning into a shake, “Uh-huh… No… Not really…” 

 

Or maybe she was. Hwasa sighed, closing her eyes again as she tried to regain her composure. “I think I was just seeing things, I’m sorry about that,” she apologised, trying to convince herself more than anyone else. 

 

“Well, yeah, it’s alright,” Loco gave her an apologetic smile, patting her on her shoulder, “You must be tired, hence your eyes playing tricks on you. You should take a rest, you haven’t been taking your offs since last year.” 

 

Hwasa slumped her body in defeat and pouted. “I know… I probably should,” She agreed, she was probably tired and her mind was probably letting her believe that whatever Wind said was real. Probably. Or it could be real. She squeezed her eyes shut, grabbing her head as she shook it back and forth furiously out of frustration, “Argh! I don’t know anymore!” 

 

Loco laughed, she was always a funny character and he loved that. It was one of the reasons why he wanted to get close to her, aside from the reason that she was his ideal type of woman. “Cheer up. I’ll treat you to a meal when you get a day off?” he offered, grinning at her. 

 

“Oh, that’s right. For you. From boss.” He handed over the stack of papers that he was holding onto that he smacked her with. 

 

Hwasa simply accepted it, unfolding it open to look at the contents, “What’s this?” 

 

“Work,” he snickered as he walked away, “Boss says to get them done by today!” 

 

As if the 5-day stalker and the headache wasn’t enough to make her day worse, she now had extra to put on her plate. Well, she didn’t see her since yesterday after the whole tailing her to work shenanigans, so that was less of a headache. She groaned irritatedly, “Ugh, thought he was gonna give me a raise.” She scratched her mane while looking through the pile of documents.  _ Invoice, invoice, and more invoice.  _ She groaned again. 

 

“You wish,” Loco mocked as he took a seat back at his desk.   
  


* * *

 

 

“Your wings… They’re…” 

 

“Big and hard? Yeah,” Moonbyul smirked at the girl lying beside her. 

 

Solar rolled her eyes, hitting her once before shifting over and sitting up to study her wing in question. The feathers were hard and solid, unlike the soft white fluff of an angel’s, and it had a weight to it - almost like they were made of onyx. Then, as she guided her hand upwards, it got softer and lighter; the same feeling of an angel’s wings. 

 

Her eyes remained glued to her divine extension, eyeing it ever so intriguing as she let her hand run all over them, “I’ve never… seen anything like this…” 

 

Byulyi lowered her wing, allowing the lass to caress it however she’d like. It’s no wonder she would be captivated by them, since her kind was almost nowhere to be found. “You like them?” she asked. 

 

“Yeah,” her eyes never wavering, still stuck to the mysterious and dazzling limb, hands running all over them, “They’re pretty.” 

 

Byulyi chuckled, “They’re useless though.” She stared at her getting all enthralled, smiling. Solar was really cute when she was all dazed out like a kid; so easily impressed and amused. She liked that. 

 

Solar whirled her head around, turning her attention to Byul’s face instead. “Why’s that?” she asked quizzically. 

 

Byulyi repositioned herself, shifting her arm under her as she leaned against the back of her hand. “In textbook terms, we’re known as Fallen Angels,” she began explaining, “But for immortals, they call us ‘the Grounded’. Which means…” she paused as she began flapping her large wing in the room, looking able to cover almost five or six people underneath it, “They’re flightless.” 

 

“You can’t… fly?” Solar asked again, puzzled. She was full of question today, especially when it was her first time meeting a fallen angel. 

 

“Unfortunately,” Byulyi replied. “But we can do this,” As soon as the words left her mouth, the world seemed to stop, and only the slowest of motions could be seen moving. It was almost as if time had slowed and Byulyi shifted over to the other side of the bed behind Solar, leaning against her other hand, then retracting and emerging another one of her wing before she resumed time normally again. 

 

To Solar, she thought Byul had disappeared somewhere in a blink of an eye until a voice broke out behind her, “Over here.” 

 

She whipped her head around quickly, pointing at the spot where Byul was once at, then pointing back at where she currently was. “How did you-” Surprise and amusement were written all over her face as she pondered over how she could’ve done it. First, black singed flightless wings, now teleportation? Definitely a topic of interest.

 

“It’s a gift,” Byulyi winked at her, “Well, more like a compensation.” 

 

Turning over and lying on her stomach, Solar peered and leaned over at Byul, engrossed in everything that she was. Her eyes were practically beaming when she questioned, “What exactly are you?” 

 

“Well, we’re…” Byul paused, her face frowning and scrunching up as she tried to think of words to describe her kind, “Sort of like God’s failed experiment.” Solar nodded slowly, then urging her to continue as she shifted closer. 

 

“Angels help people with their needs, and they escort the good to Heaven. Devils help people with their wants, and they escort the bad to Hell. And… that’s why they need their wings,” she started disclosing the lore of immortals, “Fallens kinda… fall in between an Angel and a Devil. We help people with their needs and wants, but we’re kinda chaotic in our ways. We don’t serve God. We don’t bring the dead to anywhere.” 

 

Byulyi took a look at Solar, glad to see that she was still listening intently. Or maybe just staring mindlessly at her face in awe - she couldn’t tell - as she continued, “We just do our own thing here on Earth. God didn’t entirely smite us out of existence since we were still of some use. Helping the Humans out, y’know. But he did make us slightly mortal. Didn’t wanna have rebellious kids waltzing through his paradise as and whenever, so he grounded us to the floor, binding us on Earth.” 

 

“How many of you are there?” Solar’s gaze was unfaltering, focusing on her with admiration and adoration. Her jet black hair slid down her face, sheltering a part of her face as she tilted her head to the side, making her look ethereal and unearthly; like a deity or sorts. Byulyi could swore she wanted to kiss her again, even more passionately when she looked at her with affection like that. 

 

She shook the thought away, trying to recall her fellow mates, “Not a lot. We’re a one in a thousand of God’s mistakes.” 

 

“I don’t think you’re a mistake,” She spoke dreamily, her voice rivalling an angel’s as the tune harmonised in Byulyi’s ears. 

 

She was so sweet, charming, and irresistibly cute. The soft cheeks, the crescent moon shaped eyes, and the wide grin. There was so much of her that she wanted to know more about, explore and understand. For the first time in the longest time, she wanted to be a part of somebody’s life; and she wanted Solar to be a part of hers as well. She’d give everything to be with her forever, and she was sure she’d be the first and last one she would want to spent her days with.

 

Byulyi took her hand, gliding it up to her face as she kissed it gently. “My true name is Byulyi. Moon Byulyi,” then she released it and placed her thumb in between her teeth and bit down hard. 

 

Blood started streaming down her thumb, as she lightly placed it over Solar’s red lips, smearing it downwards as she whispered, “And I give you my name.” 

 

Byulyi looked at her longingly, her loving gaze piercing right into Solar, “From now on, until the end of your time, I shall be summoned at your feet when you deem fit. I shall know where you are at all times, and shall there be any threats posed against you, I will be your weapon and your shield.” She paused while reciting her vows, Solar’s eyes widening at every word she spilled, “I, Moon Byulyi, shall ensure your safety and wellbeing until death do us apart.” 

 

If there was another thing left to surprise her, Solar definitely wasn’t expecting this to come her way. Swearing an oath to a mortal meant losing her immortality, and whilst Solar was honored that she was chosen as the one Byulyi had sworn to, she wasn’t entirely sure if she should do it immediately after a one night stand. She panicked, calling out for her, “Byul-”

 

“I give myself to you,” Byulyi cut her off, “And I shall await your answer, until you deem me worthy.” She proceeded to lean in, planting a kiss on her forehead as she held her close. 

 

“I really like you,” Byul confessed, pulling back her kiss to look at the beauty shying away. She smoothed her thumb across her cheek, careful to not let her blood get on her as she caressed her face gently. She cooed, “You don’t have to give me an answer immediately. I’ll wait for you. Take as long as you need.” 

 

Solar gently nodded, becoming docile all of a sudden. Her cheeks were flushed red and she could only stare at anything else but Byulyi’s eyes. It wasn’t the first time someone had wanted to make a pact with her; and every time they did, she’d have a tinge of guilt in her stomach. Why would anyone give up their immortality just to be with her? Was she worth it? Could she be enough to cover up all their losses? Thoughts like that kept seeping through her mind, and she’d ended up rejecting all of them, apologising and remaining friends instead. She couldn’t bear the responsibility of making an immortal lose their lifespan all of a sudden. What if she’d back out halfway? What if she couldn’t stay loyal? Wouldn’t it all be in vain? Wouldn’t that mean she’d basically  _ killed  _ them? And the last person she’d want to betray was Byul. 

 

“It’s a lot to take in, I know.” Byulyi reassured her, “But don’t worry too much about it. Take it as a job offer, or something. Shove it into the back of your mind until you remember it again, I don’t know. Take all the time you need.” 

 

Gathering up her courage, she peeked at her nervously. She was making her heart flutter all over the place, and she was this close to having an anxiety attack from the sudden confession vow. She bit her lip anxiously, tasting the iron, while fighting her inner racing heart as she gave her a nod. 

 

Byulyi smiled, pushing her raven hair out of her face to take a better look at her. She looked uneasy, but extremely adorable and precious in her eyes. Her wing flapped subconsciously, corresponding to her joy and delight. She pushed her nose against hers, lips touching as she muttered.

 

“You’re worth the wait.” 

 

“Where are you headed to after this?” Solar questioned as she watched Byulyi button up her shirt in front of the dresser. She was missing the last few buttons of her shirt from ripping it off last night, and dismissed the issue by tucking it into her pants. 

 

Byulyi picked up the blazer from the ground and turned to face the beauty on the bed. Solar had already finished dressing up while waiting for her, lying on the bed and lazing around, asking personal questions and whatnot. Byulyi smirked, leaning over to push her hair out of her face as she took a good look at her, appreciating her elegance. 

 

“I’m going to go visit a friend. I’m sorry I can’t hang out today as much as I want to,” she looked sorry as she cupped her face in her hands, kneeling down beside the bed. Byulyi leaned in to kiss her on her forehead, “I’ll come find you tomorrow. Promise.” 

 

Solar pouted, frowning. She was slightly jealous this ‘friend’ of hers was taking away the time they could spend together after having sex. The least she could do was offer her some aftercare activities. “How would you know where to find me?” she reached out to hold Byulyi’s face in her own hands, giving it a little squish out of frustration. They’re surprisingly soft. 

 

“I can smell you from miles away,” she remarked cheesily, winking as she made the greasy comment. No way she was gonna tell her she’d been following her for weeks, jotting down her schedule at the back of her mind on when and where she might be. Stalker much. Nope. No way.

 

“Ugh, you’re greasy,” Solar rolled her eyes as she pushed her face away, laughing as she reacted with a weird grimace. “Why do I even like you?” she wondered out loud.  

 

Byulyi caught her hands before she pulled them away, kissing them gently and peeping into her eyes earnestly. “I’ll find you, I promise,” she reiterated herself again. 

 

“I get it,” Solar grinned as she removed her hand from hers and squeezed her nose this time. “You’re repeating yourself.”

 

“I know. Just making sure,” Byulyi beamed back at her, her expression mirrored that of a child’s when her nose scrunched up as she smiled - dorkish and adorable. “I’ll see you tomorrow. And the day after. And the day after the day after. And the day after that. And after that. And after that as well. And-”

 

“-I get it! Just go!” Solar chased her out of the room as she got to her feet and started pushing her out of the room. “See you tomorrow! Bye!” She said as she quickly slammed the door behind her. 

 

Before the door shut, Byulyi peered over to take a peek at Solar, yelling, “I love you!” as she made her way out. 

 

The footsteps trailed off and finally disappeared down the hallway. Solar sighed in relief, leaning her head against the door as she clutched her chest. Her cheeks were flushed and her ears were bright red from all the commotion. And most of all, her heart was pounding so hard she was afraid Byulyi could hear it. She was sweet, caring, stunning and lovely all in one small vessel not any bigger than herself, and she wondered just how she managed to squeeze everything positive in such a small container. She bit her lip, clearly head over heels for the particular stranger she had just met last night. 

 

It was love at first sight.

 

* * *

  
  


“Good work for the day!” Hwasa stretched her arms out at her desk, grunting and moaning in relief as she packed her stuff up. 

 

“Good work,” Loco called out behind his desk. It was late and they were the only ones left at the office having to work overtime. Tomorrow was the pre-launch of the new event after all, and they were rushing to fill out the paperwork for it; hopefully they could finish before the actual launch. “I’m going to stay for a bit longer, you should go first.” 

 

“M’kay,” Hwasa acknowledged. Loco was a hard worker, often staying back to finish up the work that the other employees couldn’t finish. It’s not like he got paid extra, so she never understood why he would offer himself up like that so willingly.  _ ‘It’s fine, they need the help’ _ is what he’d usually say, but she thought maybe he’d ought to love himself more.  _ ‘Besides, I enjoy this’. _ She shrugged, unable to fathom and comprehend the selflessness. 

 

Hwasa left the office shortly after saying her byes, strutting and walking along the usual route home while her stomach growled. 

 

“What should I eat later?” she pondered out loud, saying to no one in particular. Pictures of pizza, burger, beef intestine soup, gopchang and instant noodles filled her mind and her mouth watered at the thought of devouring them all.  _ Maybe I’ll have samyang fire noodles. And a bit of meat. _

 

The night was eerily quiet, the streets were empty and the lights along the walkway was dim. She didn’t remember it being this creepy when she was walking home on the usual days; maybe it was because she worked late. It didn’t bother her that much with all the food that was displaying in her head until she heard a stone pebble tumble behind her. 

 

Click, clack, click, clack. It sounded like it was accidentally kicked, and then it rolled down the hill. Startled, Hwasa turned around swiftly enough to catch a glimpse of a silhouette dodging into the shadows of an alleyway. 

 

She raised a brow, skeptical at first but called out anyway, “Come on out, Wind, I know you’re there.” 

 

A minute passed, and there was no response. She kept her eyes glued to the area as she skimmed around getting nervous. She bit her lip as the anxiousness crept into her, making every passing second seem slow and stagnant. 

 

Hwasa gulped, backing away a few feet as she yelled again, “Wind, I know you’re there.” She paused, waiting for a reply, then continued, “It’s not funny, Wind.” 

 

A gust of air whirled by, and her voice echoed into the darkness of the night. Her heart was racing and she was breaking into cold sweat at this point; her hands and feet freezing up from the uneasy feeling. 

 

She turned to continue her journey, both hands clutching onto the strap of her handbag as she strode her way home, almost breaking into a sprint with each step she took. Faint thumping sounds resided in her head. She thought she was hearing things when the sound got just a little bit louder behind her, almost matching her pace of walking. The fact that she was wearing heels today made her even more tense at the stalking sound. She was practically panting and heaving from her shakiness, but she mustered up her courage to whip her head around again to take another look. 

 

The same motion ensued - dodging and evading into the shadows where they couldn’t be seen. Hwasa took a shaky breath, inhaling deeply as she tried to regain her composure before resuming her journey to wherever but her place. 

 

Her pace started slow again. Then, as her ears perked to pick up any sign of noise, she’d relax from the lack of footsteps trailing behind her. She breathed out, relieving all the tension that had built up in her as she made a detour back to her place. 

 

Turning around the corner, she froze in place when she found herself tumbling back and staring up at a disheveled looking man. His eyes were sunken and crazed - almost as if he wanted something from her, and his grin was wide and ghoulish. A blade was held firmly in his hand when Hwasa glanced down to take a look, gulping as she took another step back; all the tension that subsided aroused itself all the way up her back of her neck. 

 

With a ragged breath and a hoarse voice he spoke as quietly as he could, “Give me… Give me… all your money…” he pointed the knife at her, close to her face as he leaned in closer and eyed her up and down, “Or… yourself…” 

 

Her mouth was agape, shakily breathing as she responded, “I’ll… give you my money.” Hwasa raised her hands up, surrendering as she reached out into her handbag to pull out her purse, “H-Here… It’s all I’ve got…-” 

 

He snatched the wallet out of her hand immediately, pulling out all of the notes as he threw the rest of the contents away. 

 

Seeing as he was counting the notes, Hwasa took another deep breath, closing her eyes before breaking out into a full sprint into the opposite direction of her home. She was panting and gasping for air after a few hundred meters of running, and she thought she was free from the scene until she felt a pull at her hair, jerking her head back as she landed on her bum. 

 

“I didn’t say you could leave…!” His frame was big and bulky in the light, muscles bulging as he held her head in place against the floor. She struggled to get his hands off of her, beating and scratching his arm as she kicked about. 

 

He moved over and sat on her abdomen, crushing her in place, hand still on her head. Hwasa found a new source to scratch and punch at shrieking and screaming all the while struggling with all that she can. “You little bitch!” he yelled as he slammed her head into the ground. 

 

She choked out in repulse, gagging at the sudden motion and pain that hit her head hard. “Help…! Help! Somebody help!” she was struggling hard, unable to breathe with his weight on her. She tried to breathe, but he was too heavy and he was almost pulverising her lungs with just his load on her. 

 

“Help…” she gasped for air. God knew why, but the first person she thought of was her stalker-for-days angel friend. She challenged her, “Wind… Help… me…!” If she really was an angel like she said, she wouldn’t be ignoring this situation now, would she?  _ Maybe, I don’t know. I’m dying! Just… For fucks sake, anyone! _

 

Hwasa let out another groan but caught a deep breath as she felt the pressure on her lifted as soon as she whispered the name. She panted, gasping for air as she sat up to look at what happened. 

 

In front of her stood a young lass - slightly shorter than her by a bit - clad in an oversized shirt and denim shorts this time, brown hair gliding down her back and she smelled like… alcohol…? She took another closer look, and the same distortion was there again. Hwasa squinted her eyes, then rubbing it to take a better look at it. 

 

The man groaned in pain, almost shouting as he tried to bring his hand back. He was on his knees in front of Wind as he stared at her in pain. She had his wrist held in place, bending it so suddenly every time he tried to make a move. 

 

“You alright?” Her voice broke the silence, spare the grunting in pain. 

 

“Y-Yeah…” Hwasa replied, still in the midst of shock at how quickly she appeared. “You actually came.” 

 

“Of course,” she turned back to flash a grin at her, “Gotta help a fellow Devil out, don’t I? Now, where was I? Oh, right.” She twisted his arm further, making sure she popped a bone as she kicked him in the nuts before letting go. He fell forward in response, hand rushing to grab his crotch as he cried on the spot. “Return what you stole,” Wind demanded, “Then scram.” 

 

He did as he was told, throwing all the pieces of money on the floor before fleeing into the distance, yelling and shouting something about ‘monsters’ and ‘demons’. 

 

“Ha. They don't exist, dumbass,” she eyed him as she turned around to help Hwasa up from the ground, pulling her to her feet. Blood lined down her face as she stared at her blankly, confused at how fast everything happened. She wobbled, almost losing her balance from the lack of blood and Wind caught her in place. 

 

“You’re bleeding,” She examined her wound, “We should get you to the hospital.” 

 

“It’s fine,” Hwasa assured her, “Probably just a scratch. I’ve got first aid at home, don’t got money to spend on medical.” 

 

“Alright. Wait here while I go pick your things up.” Wind left her to lean on the wall carefully as she hurriedly left to pick up the money on the ground and her wallet that was left far behind. Hwasa sighed, holding her head in place to ease her throbbing headache.  _ She really came. _ She tried to take it in - that angels exist - but her head couldn’t wrap itself around it; not with the intense migraine that was hurting her brain right now. 

 

It wasn’t long until Wind reappeared again, waving hard with her wallet in hand as she came jogging back. Hwasa sighed, smiling and thankful that she hadn’t left her in the middle of nowhere. 

 

She passed her wallet back and eyed her from head to toe, watching Hwasa stumble back and forth as she tried to put her wallet back in place. After she was done, she carried her in arms like a princess, startling her as she let out a yelp in the process. 

 

“What are you doing?! I can walk perfectly fine on my own!” her mouth was saying that, but her arms were saying otherwise, naturally hooking around her neck when she held her up. 

 

Wind eyed her, still smiling as she teased, “Nuh-uh. You can barely even stand. Besides flying is faster. Where’s your place?” 

 

“What? No! You’re not coming to my place.”

 

“Yes, I am.” Wind replied nonchalantly, “Now spit it before I drop you like your father did.” 

 

Hwasa stared at her agitatedly, “What? How do you know my father dropped me?” She was bewildered by this girl every time she was around. Either she was doing one thing persistent, or she was doing something unexpected. She couldn’t tell, and it was fascinating to her, actually.

 

Wind shrugged, pouting and making a puzzled face, “God decided to give you amnesia.” 

 

_ Again with the God and Devil thing. _ Hwasa rolled her eyes.  _ She never gives up, does she? _

 

“Fine, it’s 5 alleys down, near the famous gopchang house. I’ll guide you there,” she was lying if she said she didn’t want to experience flying, seeing how Wind got here in just seconds. She grinned at her, expecting a wild ride as she held on tighter. 

 

Wind smirked back at her, challenging her quirkiness, “Buckle up, passenger.”

 

“Okay,” Hwasa began, holding a finger up and looking away from Wind, “When you said flying… I wasn’t expecting it to be cutting through space and going through multiple layers of extra dimensional planes-” she retched as she held onto the brick wall for support. As if the headache wasn’t enough for her, the nauseating feeling was kicking into her stomach as well. Can the day get any worse? 

 

“Aw, c’mon! It’s not that bad,” Wind punched her lightly on her shoulder, laughing at her, “It was only, like, 3 jumps.” 

 

She held her barf back, covering her mouth, “Yeah, normal for you,” she gestured at herself, waving circles around her body, “Not me.” 

 

The angel continued giggling as Hwasa escorted her in to her apartment, scrambling about the place to make room for her. Clothes were piled up everywhere and her soft toys were all over the place, there were opened bags of chips on the dining table and unwashed dishes in the sink. Her bed - sofa - was covered in her blanket as she shoved it aside, making space and gesturing for the guest to take a seat. 

 

“Wow, no wonder you didn’t want me to come over,” Wind said as she looked around while moving to where Hwasa wanted her to be. 

 

“Yeah, yeah. Whatever. Help yourself to the water and food, I’m gonna go patch myself up for a bit,” Hwasa’s voice trailed behind as she left for one of her rooms. 

 

Wind turned her heels just as she was about to take a seat, following her voice as she disappeared into somewhere, “Let me help you.”

 

“I’m fine, really, I can take care of myself,” Hwasa’s voice came from one of the rooms on the left, noises shuffling and clanging as it seemed like she was struggling to get whatever off the shelf from wherever. 

 

“Really,” Wind appeared behind her, lightly jabbing the spot at the back of her head where she was hurt. Hwasa yelped in pain, hissing as she turned to shoot the angel a glare. 

 

Wind laughed, then shoved her aside as she took the medkit from her and led her back into the living room. She quickly made room for two on the sofa-bed, inviting Hwasa to join her, patting the empty spot and gesturing for her to sit down. 

 

Hwasa rolled her eyes, smiling as she laughed in disbelief, “You act like you live here.” 

 

“Well, don’t mind if I do,” she patted the empty spot again, more enthusiastically than before, “Sit down!” 

 

She laughed again, this time at her childish-like behavior. “Yes, mom~” she joked along as she climbed into the space beside her. She was thankful for her, really. Had she not come in time, she wouldn’t know what would have happened to her. She wouldn’t even want to think about what would happen to her.

 

Wind was very gentle when she patched Hwasa up; carefully applying the alcohol swabs to her wounds and wrapping her head around with a bandage - firm, but not hard enough to hurt her. She seemed well versed in the medical field, considering how long she lived, Hwasa realised. 

 

“I suppose Angels don’t have healing powers like everyone seemed to talk rumors about?” she blurted out in the midst of Wind spinning the dressing around her head. 

 

Wind paused and pondered, then continued where she left off, “Mmm. No, we do, actually. They’re archangels, but they don’t meddle with human business. They only heal the divine and immortals though; very rarely the mortals.” 

 

Hwasa hummed, acknowledging the answer that was given. “What happens when they do meddle?” 

 

Wind pondered again, trying to explain in mortal terms. “Well, they’re known to be the miracles you hear of in the news. When people are about to die, and suddenly they’re all alive and healthy, stuff like that. The archangels who do that go into exile for disrupting the balance in the world. That’s why we don’t see them around often. The arches, I mean. They tend to not mess around in the mortal realm.” 

 

“So the exiles are like… fallen angels?” 

 

“You could call them that,” clipping the bandage in place, Wind checked for some final adjustments as she explained, “Though fallen angels can come from different ways. They’re defined by their wings, actually.” She smirked at her, thinking back to her particular blond friend. 

 

Hwasa perked up, amused, “Really. How so?”

 

Wind’s eyelids dropped as she smiled somberly, her eyes looking past the object she was staring at as she searched her mind for her friend, “The exiles retain their white wings, though they catch on fire easily; making them unable to reach the gates of Heaven,” she paused, taking a breath and looking square into Hwasa’s eyes, “The other kind - the grounded - their wings are tainted black, leaving not a single trail of white behind. Their feathers become stiff and heavy, weighting them to the ground and binding them to Earth.” 

 

Hwasa observed the angelic being before her, her expression filled with grim and melancholy. She gulped, finally asking the taboo question, “What… did they do...?” 

 

Wind glanced back up at her, eyes full of emotion and regret, as if she had witnessed everything gone wrong. Her gaze pierced into Hwasa and the moment of silence seemed like an eternity to her. 

 

“They killed.”

 

* * *

  
  


It started out with a drizzle, then poured as the sky threatened her presence at the scene. She paid no mind to it, however, as she continued strolling down the path of tombstones with flowers in hand. With every step she took, it seemed as if the rain became heavier until she’d arrived at the grave she’d visited yearly without fail since the past century or so. 

 

“Hey, sorry I’m late,” Byulyi greeted no one in particular as she stared down at the tomb. She placed the flowers on the grave, kneeling down on one knee as she gently ran her fingers across the name engraved on it. Her eyes softened when the cold wet stone met her touch. “I met a girl on the way,” she smiled as she recalled the experience with the dancer at the club, “I think you might’ve liked her too, Soojung.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading! I'll try to update regularly from now on, pushing an update at least once every two weeks. I hope you guys enjoy the story and I hope that the plot will interest you even further!
> 
> Edit: I will not be replying to plot-spoiler comments! Just to keep things interesting :p


	3. Bonding

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Byulyi kept her promise and found Solar again, leading to events. They noticed just how well they clicked with each other, mixing well like air and fire. Wheein had found her way back to Hwasa, tailing her and wanting to be better friends until she'd mention something she wasn't supposed to. What would become of the ever growing flames and storms?

Loud beats spiralled around the dark space, pumping rhythms into their eardrums as they tried to yell across the booming music. Flashing lights glared, bodies mashed. For some reason, the club was their favourite hangout spot among all the other recreational spaces they could’ve picked. 

 

“You made a pact?!” Wheein fought against the volume of the god forsaken music roaring in the background. Really, who the fuck was the DJ? The music mix was beyond tolerable. 

 

Byulyi leaned herself back against the counter, resting her arms atop as she threw her head back and spun about in her chair. “She didn’t accept it,” she whined, dragging her words as she continued turning her chair around left and right. She sighed, trying to hide her disappointment amidst all of it. 

 

Wheein leapt out of her chair, grabbing Byulyi by her collar as she shook her back and forth violently. “You made a pact after a one-night stand?!” her yells caught a few pairs of eyes, then they resumed back to whatever they were doing, “Are you insane?! Hey, Moon Byulyi!” 

 

Byulyi’s body slumped to the opposite direction of Wheein as she continued jolting her back and forth, aloof to the whole situation. She whined again, grumbling as she let herself get swayed from side to side. “It’s not like she accepted it,” she pouted as she looked away to the side, battling the dissatisfaction at the back of her mind. God knows, she really wanted to be Solar’s. 

 

“You-!” Wheein’s hand shot up to Byulyi’s face, grabbing them all too forcefully as she squeezed down hard enough for the victim to grimace in annoyance. She couldn’t tell why she was so agitated with the fallen angel; worried, perhaps? That she so impulsively wanted to give up her immortality because of someone she’d just slept with for one night. 

 

Finally deciding she was peeved, Byulyi slapped Wheein’s hands away, snapping, “Ya! Let me live!” Glaring back at the brunette, she massaged her face. What’s so wrong with wanting to sign a pact with someone she liked? The last time she hadn’t tried to latch onto someone she loved, it gave her a trauma big enough to stop her from getting attached to anyone; she swore she’d never sign a pact to anyone after because she thought she could never find someone else she would come to love. 

 

“Don’t you think this is too much?! Why are you in such a hurry to die?!” Wheein snapped back, slapping her arm with a flurry of blows. 

 

Byulyi backed away from her jabs, distancing herself as far as her chair would allow. “I’ve been living for 28 ceturies! It’s about time I retire this shitty job! I don’t even get paid for this!” 

 

“What about me!” Wheein wailed, shrieking as she beat her word after word, “What! About! Me! What am I going to do without you!” 

 

“Just! I don’t know! Find another grounded friend that doesn’t have entirely black wings!” Frustration finally caught up with her when she abruptly shouted back at the smaller girl still pummeling her fists into her, “Ya! Stop it! It hurts!”

 

Tears were welling up in her eyes when she’d finally retracted her hands back to herself, planting it down on the chair in between her legs. Wheein didn’t know why she felt so upset and bitter about this whole ordeal. Perhaps, because she’d seen how fragile mortals were in all the passing years, the thought that Byulyi would become one of them scared her. She’d lose her only friend who had stayed with her all these centuries, dealing with her tantrums and shenanigans. How would she be able to find someone else like her? She frowned, choking back her tears as she glowered at the blond. Did she not care about her? What was she thinking, ready to leave everything - even her - behind? 

 

“I’m not immortal like you, gremlin,” Byulyi rubbed her arm as she looked back at Wheein agitatedly. She could’ve sworn there were a few bruises already forming from her divine strength. 

 

On the surface, it seemed like she was mad, but she’d been pondering about how she was going to tell Wheein without getting her worked up. Clearly, there was no way to go around it and she got what she deserved for even thinking about leaving her behind all alone for one second. It wasn’t like she wasn’t thinking about Wheein -  okay, that was a lie. But she didn’t want to lose Solar like how she’d lost the last one because of her hesitation. 

 

“It was a tough decision for me too, alright?” Byulyi scowled, looking anywhere but her friend. Her expression turned sour as she recalled the past, “I just… I didn’t want to regret again, like I did the last time.” 

 

Wheein perked up, looking surprised. as she skimmed through her memories of the time as well. She looked apologetic when she tried to console her fellow feathered friend,  “Byul…” she paused, looking for the right words, “Soojung… Whatever happened to her, it wasn’t your fault…” 

 

“I know,” Byulyi replied almost immediately, “I’m way past that.” She turned over, smiling weakly. Regardless how far she’d gotten past it, the memory still killed her every time she dug it up. “Besides, I think she would’ve wanted me to move on too. Be happy, like what she always said.” 

 

Byulyi tilted her head up again, reminiscing the times that she had lived as she rambled on, “I’ve been around for far too long. And it’s not like I have a place to return to, or anything,” she glanced over at Wheein who was staring back at her remorsefully, smirking, “At least you got Heaven on your side.” 

 

“Byul…” Wheein felt sorry for her friend. She was there at the time when she had lost her wings, and she’d seen how terrible of a state she was in when she lost everything in one night. It was hard to even look at Byul as she tried to pick herself up, much less help her get through it. She was beyond broken at the time, trying to find all sorts of ways to end herself but eventually being unable to leave the mortal realm at all costs. 

 

It was hard to fathom she’d even got over the pain. And when Byul was trying to pursue her happiness again, here she was being selfish and gatekeeping her from that one thing she’d been looking forward to live for - a reason to live for; love. Wheein took a deep breath, swallowing the lump in her throat as she tried to reason with her, “Byul… I-I’m sorry...”

 

“Don’t be,” Byulyi smiled gently at the younger angel. She could only imagine how hard it was to lose an only friend who had been there for her since the start of time. Byulyi still remembered the first time Wheein came into the mortal realm - she was lost as a sheep, wandering about, not having a clue on what to prioritise and who to help; eventually leading to all her jobs getting stolen from her. She chuckled, giving the brunette a noogie, “I'd stop me too if I were you.” 

 

Wheein fought back her tears, choking up as she started sobbing, “Byul… I love you…!” she hiccuped, wrapping her arms around Byulyi’s lean figure, “I’m sorry… I really want you to be happy… But I’m so afraid of being alone...” 

 

“C’mon, I can’t possibly be your only friend, can I? What about the tall kid and the half-american boy?” Byulyi recalled seeing Wheein hang out with them once or twice when she was near the area. 

 

“Ah, Yoonsun and Vernon… They’ll just be here for a century or less… Plus I have to hide the fact that I’m an angel from them, where’s the trust in that!” Wheein whined and pouted disappointedly, “I don’t have anyone else but you…” 

 

“I got it, I got it,” Byulyi chimed, rubbing her head as she reassured her. “I won’t go anywhere, okay? I’m right here.” 

 

As Wheein continued sobbing into her chest, Byulyi’s nose twitched, picking up an all-too-familiar scent as she fidgeted about and searched the room. Her head perked up, licking her lips as she eyed around the club house, anticipating the presence of the ravenette from the day before. 

 

She spotted her at the entrance of the club, squeezing her way through the crowd awkwardly as she tried her best to avoid contact with the other mortals in the room. Byulyi excused herself from the brunette, finding herself drawn to Solar all over again, with Wheein yelling behind her, “Ya! You liar!” 

 

“Sorry, I’ll be back!” her smirk was the last Wheein saw before she disappeared into the sea of people, blending into the crowd and becoming one of them. 

 

She pouted, crossing her arms pettily, “No, you won’t!” Her frown slowly turned into that of a smile when she finally relaxed, relieved for some reason as she watched her silhouette fuse into the mob. “Be happy, Byul, be happy.” 

 

It was a few hours too early for her job, but Solar ended up in the club anyhow. No particular reason; except maybe a certain blond played a part in it. Usually, she’d join the crowd an hour earlier to get into the mood of things, sometimes just heading straight to her changing room. This time, however, was one of the few times she’d squeezed with the horde, skimming her eyes for a certain fallen angel. 

 

Her eyes remained glued to the ground as she tried to move out of the way, bodies clamping against her with each step she took. She almost snarled, glaring and glowering at the unwanted proximity. Physical contact with strangers wasn’t exactly her favourite in her dictionary; save for Byulyi. 

 

She smiled at the thought of her as she continued trying to edge her way out until she bumped into someone in front of her. She was so close to hissing when she shot her head up, so close, but was met with a familiar face instead. Any rage fueling within her was instantly doused when Byulyi’s soothing voice pierced through the horrible music. Really, who the fuck was the DJ tonight? She didn’t want to say anything beforehand because she was busy getting agitated at the cluster of people instead, and the music did nothing but aroused her mood further. 

 

“Hey, little devil,” her deep voice tuned the music out, and all Solar could see and hear was the angel before her. The corner of her lips wasted no time curling upwards to its fullest, and when Byulyi lifted her hand to caress her face -  _ oh God, her touch -  _ she almost melted into her as she leaned in close. 

 

“Hey,” her eyes turned into crescents, peering up at her dreamily as she wrapped her arms around her waist, body against body. “You’re here,” Solar said, almost in disbelief.

 

“Of course I am,” Byulyi replied, shifting Solar’s hair out of her face with her fingertips, her other arm tightly wrapped around her, “Said I’d find you, didn’t I?” She smiled slyly, hiding the embarrassment that she’d been silently tailing her for a while. Perhaps, angels were start of mankind stalkerism. 

 

“So, you got, like, a GPS tracker on me now?” Solar laughed as she leaned in closer, resting her head on Byulyi’s shoulders and burrowing her face into her neck. 

 

“Maybe,” Byulyi smoothed her head, taking in her scent for the first time that night as she embraced her tightly. “I missed you,” she whispered quietly enough for only Solar to hear. 

 

They stayed like that for a moment before Solar decided that it was too crowded for comfort, squirming about after getting pushed left and right by the swarm of people. 

 

She was about to escape Byulyi’s grasp when the latter clicked her tongue, getting agitated at the crowd of mortals as well. Almost instantly, her wings spread out in the enclosed area, wrapping around the both of them and blocking everyone else out of their comfort zone. 

 

“Better?” Byulyi shifted her gaze back to the nephilim, eyes unfaltering as she stared into the galaxies in her eyes. 

 

Solar looked back up at her, slightly surprised by her rash actions as she tightened her grip on her again. She smiled cheekily, chuckling as they started swaying to the horrible music blaring in the background. “Better,” She remarked how convenient it was to have wings, even if they may be flightless, but nonetheless ethereal and beautiful. 

 

* * *

 

“So… Care to explain why you’ve reverted back to my stalker-for-days stalker?” 

 

Wind jumped to her feet, tailing behind Hwasa as she continued moving through the night. It wasn’t as late as the other time, but still dark enough to be vulnerable to attacks. The lights were the same dimmed orange, some lamp posts broken along the walkway of the neighbourhood. It wasn’t eerily creepy, but enough to send chills up her spine since the last attempted mugging.

 

“I’m here to protect you!” she chirped, livelier than anything as she bounced with each step she took, “Besides, you got the whole gist of the angel thing, so it makes it easier to explain things to you now.” 

 

Hwasa held her hands out, shrugging, “That still doesn’t explain why I could be a devil. Asides from smelling. Have you ever read those ABOverse fanfics?” 

 

“What’s an ABOverse?” Wind stared up at Hwasa wide eyed, completely clueless to modern slang. 

 

Hwasa sighed defeatedly as she strode on. “Why are you following me back home anyway? Don’t you have anywhere to go?” she took a quick look at Wind, staring her up and down. She was clad in a baggy sweater this time, presumably jeggings, and some chunky expensive shoes. Where does she get all her money from anyway? “And why do you always smell like alcohol?” Hwasa said in dubiety. She could hardly believe a girl her age was even allowed to drink. She looked, what, 14? 

 

“Oh, I usually hang out at the club at this hour,” she said casually. “It’s tended by your local friendly neighbourhood archangel, Kang Seulgi.” 

 

“ _ The _ Kang Seulgi? The one with black hair, puffy cheeks, cute smile? My  _ boss? _ ” Hwasa stopped in her tracks, her mouth hung agape, unable to believe what she was hearing. 

 

Wind continued strolling, hands resting against the back of her head, “Wow, your boss owns a nightclub  _ and _ has a high paying day job.” 

 

“I thought she was a fucking vampire. She never ages or gets tired, man,” Hwasa grunted, taking angry steps up the slope, remembering she had to finish up her work while she was out having fun in a club, “She doesn’t need to eat or drink,  _ and _ she gets paid more than a human? Life’s unfair.”

 

“That’s why we’re here to keep it balanced! You’d be surprised how many of them there are in the higher parts of the hierarchy.” It was a long walk to back Hwasa’s and they were only halfway back. Wind would be lying if she said she wasn’t already bored of walking, but when she’d insisted on flying Hwasa home, the only reply she would get was a flat out ‘No’. She shrugged at her choices. Why do mortals like to make things hard for themselves anyway? The only thing that’s probably worth living there for was the gopchang house nearby.

 

“What?” Hwasa snapped irritably, “You mean they’re controlling the economy?” 

 

Wind spun around, looking at Hwasa as she skipped backwards, “Yeah! Why do you think the entire economy hasn’t been corrupted yet?” she shrugged again, giving half a pout and half a smirk, “You put too much faith in humans. Even God doesn’t trust them that much. That’s the only reason why He sent us here.” 

 

Hwasa rolled her eyes. How is it that every time Wind spoke she would manage to get under her skin and annoy the shit out of her? She shook her head, changing the topic of conversation, “What about you? Angels. And devils, whatever. Don’t you have tendencies? Greed, envy, the seven sins, or somethin’.”

 

“Me? Mmm…” Wind pondered as she whirled back around, walking straight this time, “Well, not for me. Others may or may not have them, it depends. We’re all different individuals, like how mortals are made.” She placed a finger over her lips, thinking hard when it finally hit her. She turned to look at Hwasa, laughing sheepishly, “My friend’s a total hoe, though.” 

 

“Huh,” Hwasa looked surprised, “I guess the whole sinning thing’s a lie?” 

 

“Well, not really. Yes and no,” Wind slowed down her pace, walking beside Hwasa as she explained, “In a way, when mortals have too much greed, in most cases, they lose everything. Same thing for envy, they suffer from being jealous and whatnot. Well, it’s just nature serving it back to them. Karma’s a thing, you know?” 

 

Hwasa stared back at the shorter girl, face twisting as she wondered deep in thought. Something doesn’t really click together. “What about the whole going to Hell thing? You don’t go to Hell for sinning?” 

 

“What? No!” Wind snickered, it was funny how the mortals always came up with the most insane theory about the realms they’ve never been to. “You only go to Hell if you harm others. Physically, psychologically, emotionally, whichever. Bullying, abuse, emotional manipulation. Basically, any bad intentions that are manifested. Even immortals do,” Wind paused, taking a long look at Hwasa as a blank face gazed back at her, “You really don’t remember any of this, do you?” 

 

Hwasa shook her head, hitting it a few times before making a ‘psh’ sound effect, “Completely empty,” she stated simply. 

 

“Wow… He must’ve really dropped you hard… I wonder what’s the reason?” Wind wondered out loud, looking up at the night sky as she considered in thought. 

 

Hwasa rolled her eyes again, for the (possibly) thousandth time whenever Wind said something insensitive and degradable, “Fucks sake, how many times do I have to repeat myself?” she whined, sighing loudly, “I’m not an immortal, or whatever you call it. You ever seen one getting hungry and getting injured?” 

 

She was about to end her questions there when Wind got to her answer quickly. “Yes, actually,” her face looked innocent and carefree, as if it was a common question, “Remember what I told you about immortals dying if they’re too or not involved at all?” 

 

“Uh-huh.”

 

“Well, see,” Wind continued, “They don’t just  _ die _ outright. They start to lose their immortality slowly. First, they’ll start to experience thirst and hunger. Then, emotions, vulnerabilities, human tendencies, mortality, you name it. Eventually, they’ll become mortals and die of old age as well. To us, that’s dying. Y’know, since we lived for centuri-” 

 

Wind wasn’t sure when Hwasa stopped listening but her face contorted into concern and nervousness, constantly licking and biting her lips as she dwelled into the past. 

 

Wind observed her, watching the cold sweat slide down her face and the faint scent of uneasiness slowly creeping and radiating from her. Curious, she reached out to touch the darker skinned woman, startling her as she jumped back to the present. 

 

“You alright?” Wind’s soothing voice broke her train of thoughts. “You looked like you recalled something.” 

 

Hwasa shook her head, black strands of hair lined across her face as she pushed it back with her hand as an excuse to actually rub her throbbing head. “Yeah… Yeah. Yeah, y’know, Wind… I, uh, I forgot to hide the body so you can’t come over tonight, alright?” She came up with a lie on a whim as she stopped in front of Wind and pushed her back, gesturing for her to leave. Her head was really splitting her apart the more she listened to Wind’s rambling. It’s only gotten worse recently when she  _ actually _ started believing in her words. 

 

“What?” Wind said dumbfoundedly as she stared at the distressed woman in surprise, “Why-” 

 

“Look,” Hwasa cut her off, gripping her head again as she swayed her head side to side, trying to shrug off the headache, “Just… Not a good time, okay? Maybe tomorrow.” 

 

Before Wind could reply, Hwasa had already hurried into the building to her apartment, leaving a stumped angel behind as she could only watch in dismay. 

 

“What… I was looking forward to hang out today…” Wheein pouted, whining as she kicked the pebbles on the pavement. Suddenly, she beamed to herself as she skipped her way down the road, hands nicely folded behind her back while she trailed on, “Well, she did say there’s tomorrow!” 

 

She shut the door behind her, leaning her weight against it as her dark mane lined her facial features. Hwasa gulped, gasping for air as she hyperventilated over the events that kept repeating in her head. Was Wind right? Was she really a Devil like she said? 

 

She bit her lip, taking a deep breath as she recollected her memories bit by bit. The very first picture she ever recalled was waking up in the middle of a field - unscathed. Then, it went on for weeks until a sharp pain started aching at her sides and quickly eased its way into her stomach. She could remember the dry feeling of her throat, the feeling of gasping for air and water when she finally reached a clear river to quench her thirst. Then, she started noticing that the little scratches on her arms and legs were starting to hurt, that she was losing her breath without taking rest. Then, the aging of her skin. The urge to communicate, the desire to satiate her hunger, the sudden tendencies to throw tantrums. 

 

Hwasa swallowed again, biting on her fingertips nervously. She came to the city, not knowing who she was. Nothing was out of place when she didn’t have an identity - not even a single trace of her DNA could track back to anything - She was peaceful, until Wind pointed it out. She hadn’t realised she was slowly becoming mortal over the first few years  And if she was who Wind claimed her to be, then, why was she casted out in the first place? Why was she the only case with an amnesia? What was the purpose of putting her on this realm? 

 

What had she done so terrible that God didn’t just smite her out of existence, but leave her out here to suffer all alone? 

 

* * *

 

The door clicked, prompting Solar to push her way into her apartment with a fellow visitor following close. Out of habit, she reached for the lights and switched them on, illuminating the darkness and revealing a clean and tidy living space.    
  
“Fancy,” Byulyi whistled as she took her shoes off, placing it neatly by the shoe rack. 

 

Solar smiled, “I live with my sister,” she made her way into her room and gestured for Byul to follow her tracks, “She’s on a trip currently.” 

 

They stopped at the entrance of her room while waiting for the lights to turn on. Smirking, Byulyi took the chance to snoop up, getting close and intimate with her as she planted her face in her neck. Her scent filled her nose, the very same arousal riding up her vessels and this time with a tint of calmness to it. She stayed in the position for a while, inhaling the scent of her mixed with floral perfume and shampoo. 

 

“Mm...  And that’s why you brought me over?” Byulyi questioned, planting kisses on her neck and up her jaw. Solar had always drove her insane, even when she was a mile away. Byulyi didn’t lie when she said she could smell her from the distance, because her nose would never fail to twitch whenever she was near; as if some unnatural force was drawing them close. 

 

Solar tilted her head, giving Byulyi more access to her features as she leaned her weight against the taller woman. Every time Byulyi kissed her, she could feel herself melting from the heat and the sensual touch. She loved it whenever Byul ran her hands around her, caressing and admiring her body all over; never missing a single curve of her body. 

 

“Not really... “ Solar managed to squeeze her words out, gasping at the stimulating feeling Byul was making her experience. “I would’ve brought you home any other day if I’d known you earlier.” 

 

Byulyi slid her hands down, wrapping them around her stomach and holding her close. She smiled, touched at her words and gave her a longing kiss on her cheek. “Bold words,” they giggled as Byulyi threw the both of them onto her bed. 

 

Solar looked up at the blond towering over her who was staring back at her endearingly and affectionately. They shared a moment of silence while admiring the other’s features before Byulyi leaned in to plant a kiss on her nose, then down to her lips. 

 

The kiss started out slow and passionately as Byulyi nibbled the top of her lips, urging Solar to kiss her back with the same gentle sensation. It wasn’t quite like the first time they’d kissed, where they were struggling to devour one another through the heated arousal. This time was sensual and pleasant, where they tried to figure out how the other’d tasted through little touches and small pecks. Taking their time to appreciate their features, they’d noticed just how soft and full their lips were, and Byulyi could never imagine that she’d never kissed her before. Just where had she been this whole time? She took another bite down her lips, smooching her to no end as her hands made their way down to take ahold of her small waist. 

 

Byulyi tilted her head, wanting more of her as she slid her tongue through the gaps of her lips, tasting her as she did the same. She was caught by surprise when Solar started sucking on her tongue, then nibbling and kissing her on her lips, then swapping back to her tongue again. Solar was a great kisser, so much that Byulyi never wanted to leave her lips from hers if she could ever. 

 

Ragged breaths filled between them as they continued on. Solar had her hands on the sides of Byulyi’s face, holding her firm and close if she ever decided to leave. Byulyi leaned away slightly with Solar’s hands still clutched against her hair, taking a moment to catch their breaths before barraging the woman beneath her a thousand kisses all around her forehead, eyes, cheeks, nose, and wherever on her face that she could see. 

 

Solar chuckled, enjoying the affection that Byulyi was hurling at her as she squeezed her face. Laughter filled the room in the midst of exchanging kisses. They took a moment to recompose themselves before Byulyi settled herself onto Solar, placing her weight on her as she started kissing down her neck and collarbone. 

 

Before Byulyi could continue past her torso, Solar’s trail of thoughts manifested out loud, “Shouldn’t we take a shower?” Remembering that their bodies - hers specifically - had been to places and sweating balls. She took a quick whiff from Byulyi, noting that she smelled like alcohol with a huge mix of lust and eroticism. Definitely going into the laundry. 

 

Byulyi peered up at the dark haired girl, watching her playfully as she replied, “Should we?” implying that they  _ should _ take a shower -  _ together _ . 

 

Solar narrowed her eyes, almost challenging her as she accepted the offer, “We should.” Her excuse was: she didn’t want to wash the sheets tomorrow. 

 

Grinning, Byulyi jumped off the bed almost immediately, taking off her clothes instantly as she headed to the bathroom excitedly. She stripped her top off and undid the button of her pants, glancing at Solar when she’d just been sitting at the edge of the bed the whole time. 

 

Byulyi gestured with her head, encouraging Solar to join her in the showers. “Well, come on. Don’t be shy,” she teased as she tossed her shirt onto the ground, revealing her white bra and a sneak peek to her matching panties.

 

Solar rolled her eyes, smiling as she stood and made her way over as well; taking her top off as she joined her in the cramped showers. How could she stand this… dork? 

 

They laughed as they helped each other out of their dirty garments before stepping into the narrow space. It could barely fit one person, let alone two naked beings, as the warm water started beating down on them. Everything felt so right then; the warm water, the steam rising, the dreamy gazes exchanged between them, the closeness of their bodies, the wetness of their hair, and the subtle touches as they kissed in the showers. They wouldn’t exchange this for anything else - wouldn’t exchange the other for anything else - even if they had to get out eventually. 

 

They laughed, and washed, and scrubbed one another’s back. Byulyi was playful, toying with the foam and making shapes out of Solar’s hair. Solar was the same, purposely slapping soap onto Byulyi the moment she’d finish rinsing. They took a while, having fun in the showers, before coming out of the bathroom nice and clean and dressing into Solar’s sleepwear.

 

Byulyi donned the oversized sweater and the underwear that fit her just nicely. For once, she was thankful that they were similar in size. It was a cosy outfit, and she didn’t think that Solar would have these sort of clothes in her wardrobe compared to the skimpy outfits she usually wore to the club. She watched as Solar put on an extra large T-shirt herself, disregarding the pants and just sliding on a pair of underwear like she did. 

 

They took turns drying their hair for each other, occasionally leaning into their hands whenever they touched and grabbed their mane to blowdry. Whenever Byulyi did that, Solar would slap her lightly on her face, prompting her to smile and look back straight. Whenever Solar did that, Byulyi would rub the particular spot and massage her scalp as if she were a cat. They were like fire and air, blending so well that the outcome could only result in a flame more passionate and fiery than anything else, burning anything in their way that would come. 

 

Byulyi switched the lights off as they climbed into bed, wanting to turn in for the night. “You must be tired,” her deep soothing voice broke the night silence. Her arm slid underneath Solar’s head and the other hand stroking her cheek as she focused on her dark orbs dreamily. She was so beautiful against the moonlight. 

 

Solar shut her eyes, enjoying the intimacy between them as she whispered, “Yeah,” it was a tiring night for her after all, having to perform constantly on stage for the crowd through the night. Byul’s touch against her skin was all it took to calm her nerves, leaving all her worries behind and out of the picture. Her constant rubbing alleviated her fatigue and she could feel the weariness escaping her body. For some reason, she’d always felt calm and composed beside Byulyi, and she didn’t know the reason why. Perhaps, it was some immortal power - but she couldn’t care less about that. Byul was Byul; Byul was Byul. 

 

It didn’t take long for Solar to drift off to sleep, all huddled up against Byulyi’s arms as she kissed her several times on her forehead. “Sweet dreams,” Byul’s voice echoed, and she smiled against her chest where Byulyi held her closest. She could hear the soft beating of her heart, and the slow rhythmic breaths as they rested for the night; the sounds a melody to their ears.   
  



	4. Old Friends

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Old memories, old relationship and old friends resurface. What could possibly happen - or go wrong?

The morning rays grazed their skin, warming it up a little despite the low temperature of the air conditioning. It slowly glided up the side of their torso, then up to their face where it beckoned Byulyi to rise from her slumber. 

 

Said girl winced in annoyance, fluttering her eyes a little before realising the sun was shining directly into her very soul. Her hand instinctively moved to shelter the sleeping girl’s face before getting her to turn over to the other side, where she isn’t facing the blinding death rays. She cursed at the back of her mind, hurling insults to the invisible man in the sky that the mortals often prayed to. Ever since the day she had lost her wings, she’d been sensitive to bright light (usually the sun); getting agitated at it at every chance she could since it only ever-so reminded her of the once loving sanctum called home. 

 

She hated the fact that she was banished out of the very place she’d registered as home, simply because she loved one of these mortals - that He loved - too much. She gritted her teeth, biting her lips as she recalled the unpleasant memory. Tears threatened to fall while she dug up the painful memories, resorting to rubbing circles on Solar to calm her nerves; though she was the one who needed the rubbing more. 

 

Perhaps she was too preoccupied with her thoughts and the tears that blurred her vision, that she hadn’t noticed the petite girl just waking up beside her. Perhaps she was just imagining the touch that rubbed her cheeks near her eyes while she was in deep thought - reminiscing the soft and gentle hand against her face as she cried before she breathed her last. Perhaps it was all a dream, and she wished she could wake up from this recurring nightmare of hers. 

 

Solar’s heart wrenched, watching the blond tearing up in front of her at nothing in particular. She moved to rub her tears away, slightly praying that she would feel better at a clearer sight of her. It was unusual watching the bright and cheerful Byulyi suddenly breaking down in the morning, and it was the most heartbreaking sight to wake up to in all her life she’d lived. 

 

“What’s wrong?” Solar’s morning voice croaked, breaking Byulyi out of her trance as she panicked and pulled away from her loving touch; looking anywhere but her. 

 

Byulyi sat up and blinked her tears away, wiping it as she shook it off as nothing. Then, she resumed her usual smiley self, beaming brightly back at her and rivalling against the rays of sun that had once forsaken her. 

 

“Nothing. You were so beautiful I cried,” she lied blatantly. 

 

Solar moved over in her half-woken state, leaning over until it was too close for comfort, cornering Byulyi in the corner. Though her eyes were half-lidded, she was sure she saw what she saw - and the kind of expression wasn’t just that from seeing an ethereal beauty. Without a word, she grabbed Byulyi’s face (almost too forcefully) as she forced her to look at her, catching her obsidian eyes with a tint of amber with her own onyx-like pupils. 

 

Byulyi stared back at her with her face squashed in Solar’s palms tightly, and a slight fear washed over her for a moment before she felt a longing kiss on her forehead. It stayed for a bit, then her lips glided down to her nose - light touches grazing her skin - then she planted another smooch on the tip of her nose. 

 

The kisses were warm and full of love, and Byulyi almost whined when Solar pulled back to take a look at her. Her eyes were still half-lidded as Byulyi watched her almost nod off to sleep again before transitioning into the smile that pierced through her heart with overloaded cuteness every time. It didn’t help that the sun was shining directly against her back, painting her into a being that looked even more divine than her Father; and for once, she thanked God for being alive. 

 

“Don’t be sad,” Solar’s voice slurred as she grabbed Byulyi’s hands that rested atop her thighs, “I’m here.” 

 

Byulyi smiled, relieved of the tension as she shifted Solar’s hands back to her face, leaning into the touch. She planted a kiss against her palm, looking back at her endearingly. “You’re here,” Byulyi reassured herself more than anyone else. 

 

“That’s right… I’m here…” Solar was nodding off again, no longer half-lidded eyes and just completely shut now, “So don’t be sad, okay?” she tried to grin, but what turned out to be a tired lazy smile instead as she plopped back down onto the comforts of her soft cushioned bed. Black hair laced against the pillows, and the sun kissed her face while she dozed off to sleep again. It was way too early for her to be up at this unearthly hour. 

 

Byulyi watched the resting figure, chest rising up and down rhythmically as she slept peacefully with no care for this world. She was like the calmness to her storm, keeping her in place before she went out of place. She trailed her fingers against her soft porcelain skin, smoothing her cheeks with a few strokes before moving the extra strands of her hair out of her face. Pulling the sheets back up, she adjusted herself in place again, snuggling against the ravenette while she watched her sleep. 

 

Her heart raced again as she studied her soft features on her face; the mole under her brow, round eyes, a small, straight nose, chubby cheeks and slightly elongated lips. Maybe it was just her, but it almost seemed like she was glowing in the presence of the sun beams that was beating down on them; and of course, the scene was literally drawing and begging Byulyi to kiss her at this point. 

 

And she did. Her lips found its way to the top of her head, planting a long kiss as she breathed her scent. The smells of calmness and affection filled her up with ecstasy, like morphine coursing through her veins and euphoria running wild in her systems. She hadn’t felt such happiness in too long, getting much too addicted and comfortable to this scent. 

 

It wasn’t long until they woke up again in the presence of a loud noise in the late morning. Small groans and grunts could be heard down the hallway followed by the sounds of wheeling something heavy. 

 

Groggily, Solar scuffled out of bed and made her way into the living room, leaving Byulyi following right behind. 

 

It was a common sight to see her sister clad in her pajamas, rubbing her dark mane, leaning against the wall and yawning not-too-glamorously. It wasn’t a common sight, however, to see a light blonde girl clad in the same pajamas, rubbing her light mane, and tailing her sister out of her room. The older nephilim cocked her head to the side, wondering who she was since her sister never brought anyone home before. 

 

“You’re home,” the taller woman stated, gesturing her head at the blonde as she set her luggage down to unpack in the middle of the room, “Who’s that?” 

 

The duo fumbled for a moment, struggling and stuttering for words before realising Byulyi wasn’t a regular at home. The blonde introduced herself, “Ah, I’m Moonbyul-” 

 

“-She’s Moonbyul,” Solar lagged behind. 

 

“Nice to meet you-” Byulyi bowed as she greeted. 

 

“-And she’s nice to meet you,” Solar continued trailing behind her words, flustered as she nodded to whatever Byulyi was saying. 

 

Mannerisms checked. The owner of the house nodded in acknowledgement, giving mental praises as she folded her shirts in place. “Nice to meet you, Moonbyul. That your front name?” 

 

“Ah, yes,” Byulyi bowed again. For some reason, she seemed a little intimidating to be around. 

 

“Yonghee,” she blatantly stated her name, eyeing her younger sister as she did so, gesturing with her flickering eyes for the status of their relationship.

 

Solar mouthed back, fanning her hand as shook her head in panic. 

 

Yonghee stared back at her aggressively, slightly agitated. For someone to be in her sister’s pajamas, not wearing pants, a little too close to comfort, and who smelled like an obvious immortal, she’d thought her sister had signed up for a guardian angel already. She mouthed back again, sharply jerking her head to the side as she implied something else. 

 

Byulyi watched the two exchange silent words in confusion until Yonghee broke the silence, clearing her throat, “Well, I don’t know what’s going on in my sister’s head,” she shot a glare at said girl, “But, clearly, she broke some rules in  _ my _ house.” 

 

“I didn’t technically break-”

 

“-We agreed on a ‘No-God-Damned-Immortal-In-My-Bloody-House’’ policy,” she paused, eyeing Moonbyul up and down, “So, care to explain what’s going on?” 

 

“-Hey, I pay for the rent too!” Solar echoed in the background flusteredly. 

 

Yonghee ignored her younger sister, attention focused on the immortal being instead. “Moonbyul?” she cocked her head to the side, gleaming menacingly at the couple. If looks could kill, she’d probably murdered an entire family, hid their bodies without leaving a trace behind, and took over this apartment as her own. Probably. Moonbyul gulped.  _ Probably…? _

 

She licked her lips to recompose herself; she’d lived for 27 centuries, surely some nephilim wouldn’t scare her. Byulyi’s eyes skimmed around the room before noticing Yonghee sliding something out from under her luggage. The object glimmered in the presence of any light source, and the familiar glow of light blinded her again. Her eyes widened at the sight of it; It was only a glimpse, but she could instantly recognise it as one of the divine weapons crafted from Hell. How in mortal realms did she get her hands on  _ that?!  _

 

Yonghee paused her motions before shooting another smile at Moonbyul, eyeing her dangerously before proceeding to stroke the tip of the hilt. “Well?” she dropped her smile, eyes glaring daggers at the blonde as if she had a strong resentment towards her kind. She continued staring at the blonde square, “Do I have to repeat myself?” her voice coated with a tint of poison on it. 

 

The events of that night barraged their way into her head. Fear crept up the back of her neck, draining the blood out of her hands as she struggled to steady her breathing. The same feeling from that night hit her again as she was overwhelmed by her emotions once more; fear, anger, disappointment, regret, guilt, everything was hitting her all at once again, reliving past memories. 

 

Byulyi gulped again, cold sweat visible as she struggled to move her stiffened body. Ragged gasps left her mouth with no words, only a few husky I’s as she struggled to breathe. Her stiffened body fell forward, but she managed to catch herself in time before grasping her throbbing headache. 

 

Yonghee’s grip tightened at the blade, ready to sprint into an assault anytime if the hyperventilating blonde decided to do anything weird. The last time she remembered an immortal was led into her house, she’d have to bury her parents with her bare hands soaked in their own blood. Her eyes narrowed, eyeing her even more cautiously. She couldn’t really tell if it was an act or she was just actually having a bad time at the moment. 

 

Lunging forward, Solar supported Byulyi before she could lose her balance - one arm around her waist and the other steadying her torso upright. Byulyi’s face was drenched in her own perspiration, and her expression was grim while she struggled to catch her breath. She looked over at her weakly, a hand rising up to grip her in place as she fought the demons in her head. Concern washed over Solar as she could only watch helplessly, smoothing her back and calming her down with a few shushes. She planted her head close to Byulyi’s, letting her lean into the crook of her neck while she wrapped her arms around her. 

 

The sudden movement alerted Yonghee, causing her to jerk and pull the blade out in anticipation before Solar stopped her.

 

“She signed a pact with me!” her cry was filled with desperation as she continued to hold Byulyi close to her. “Well, I haven’t accepted it… But she was genuine about it!” 

 

Solar’s voice brought her back for a while, before she was dragged back into the horrific scene again. Byulyi shut her eyes as she leaned in close to hold Solar, almost hugging her at this point as she tried to shut the memory out. How she wished she could’ve been the amnesiac friend Wheein was talking to her about. She needed something to pull her back to the present - something, anything. 

 

In the midst of trying to grasp her reality in check, Byulyi found herself breathing in the familiar scent - calming waves and shampoo, with a hint of eroticism and lust as usual. The smell rode up her nose, filling her with a sense of assurance as she regulated her breathing. It managed to calm her for a bit, with Solar constantly rubbing her back and telling her she was there.  

 

_ She’s here. She’s here.  _ Byulyi chimed in her head, trying to shrug off the recurring nightmare.  _ Think good thoughts. Think good thoughts. Think-  _

 

The image of Solar beaming at her against the sunlight replayed in her head; bright smile piercing through the ugly recollections that forced their way into her head all the damn time. She could remember her crescent eyes, her bright skin, her dark onyx hair, and the look of her in the morning that she would never trade for anything else. Watching the light that turned against her - that she so hated - bestowed upon the very being she’d come to love, Byulyi could only stare in aghast and in awe. For a moment, she’d be convinced her Father had sent her a Goddess of her own, to calm her storms and to douse the blazing flames inside of her. Suddenly, she was at peace. Her breathing was stormless, reposeful, and she could feel her grip on reality again.

 

“Sol-” Byulyi managed to choke out, before getting interrupted by the older sibling again. 

 

Yonghee slid her weapon back in place, her eyes softening at her younger sister’s frantic confession before heaving a sigh of relief. “I see. You’re welcome to stay then,” she resumed packing her clothes, then looked up again in full-blown curiosity, “What makes you interested in our Yongsun anyway?” 

 

Solar’s eyes widened, looking like she was about to beat her sister up, “Y-”

 

“-Yong… Sun…?” Byulyi repeated after Yonghee. Her brain wasn’t quite connecting the dots after having a major anxiety attack. 

 

Yonghee shrugged, “Islandwide-famous pianist, singer, songwriter, Kim Yongsun? Surely, you knew about this before coming on to her, didn’t you?” 

 

Byulyi’s gaze flickered, trying to recall of such person while rummaging through her hazy mind. Well, she did hear of a young singer who blew up the whole nation with an angelic voice - or something along those lines - a few years back. Kim… Something. Her face was a blank as she subconsciously tilted her head to the side, clueless to whatever Yonghee was saying. 

 

“... Or not,” Yonghee nodded, “Well, that’s a good thing, I guess.” 

 

Gaining back her strength, Byulyi stabled herself with Solar’s assistance while still trying to process the new information through the whole mess in her head. Yongsun… Yongsun… She let out a burst of chuckle before turning to look at said girl on her mind again. 

 

“Yongsun?” her grin spread across her face as she turned to look at her, unable to believe she had such a tacky name. 

 

Almost instantly, the younger girl let go of her grip, letting Byulyi stumble a little before throwing a punch into her arm. “Ya, do you want to die?” she pushed Byulyi again, watching her catch her balance while chuckling to herself. It wasn’t her fault her parents decided to give her a name due last century. 

 

“Well then,” Yonghee’s voice broke through again, and the two turned their attention back to the intimidating woman. “You don’t seem like you have ill intentions. Or, at least you don’t reek like one.” she paused from packing up, glancing over once again while biting her lips. She felt bad for the innocent angel. If anyone knew anything having attacks, she’d be the first. “Sorry for putting you through that.” 

 

Byulyi nodded cowardly, slightly daunted by her after the whole ordeal. Whatever happened to her before, how she obtained the weapon, how many she’d killed - she didn’t want to know even if she had to. 

 

They retreated back to the room where they’d emerged from earlier, plopping back down into the comforts of the cushioned bed while Byulyi climbed into Yongsun’s lap. Her form was curled into a fetus position, head resting against her thigh as Yongsun smoothed her head. 

 

“I’m sorry. My sister gets extremely wary of strangers,” the nephilim apologised as a remorseful smile crept up her face. She’d seen her sister get into attacks like that often, and it was the only reason why she was calm enough to handle the situation back there. Otherwise, without prior experience, she’d only be making things worse for the victim. 

 

Byulyi shook her head, turning to look up at Yongsun, “It’s alright. She has her reasons to, I believe.” There was no way anyone would have their guard up constantly if they hadn’t been hurt before. She’d seen many people in the past, and most of them were either too carefree and eventually got hurt, or they’d gotten hurt and decided to put up defenses around them. The experienced ones, however, learned to maneuver around the narrow spikes and become a person of both. And, Yonghee was someone who put up a tad too many walls and spikes around herself; thought she wouldn’t blame her for whatever she’d been through. 

 

The blonde turned again, planting her face into Yongsun’s shirt. “I’m sorry I acted up,” she mumbled against the cloth. She felt liable for having Yongsun clear up her mess, and she felt even more remorseful that she had to deal with her even though they hadn’t met for long. 

 

Yongsun smiled, relieved that she was able to ease up her anxiety even for just a little. She left small touches on her head each time she stroke her head, combing her hair with her fingers. The subtle touches calmed her nerves; she always did. “It’s alright, don’t be sorry,” her voice lulled, “I won’t ask if you don’t want to talk about it either.”

 

The sense of assurance washed over Byulyi again, and she never felt more grateful to be held in the arms of a nephilim. For a moment, she thought about how unfair it was that her kind could never live past a century - worse still, half a century if they weren’t too lucky. 

 

Her arms wrapped around her waist as she buried her face further in, wanting to hide from the reminiscence that was catching up with her. “Thank you,” and she felt herself at ease again when Yongsun caressed her head once more whilst humming a familiar tune that was often played on the radio. 

 

* * *

 

Her eyes trailed the brunette, tracing her figure as she hopped back to her with two ice cream cones in hand. Hwasa glanced down, eyeing the gesture when she pushed a vanilla cone towards her. 

 

“Yours!” Wind beamed, her mouth already reaching for the ice cream in her other hand. 

 

Hwasa grabbed it reluctantly, sighing as she threw her head back a little before analyzing the whole situation again: It was late morning, she was dragged out of home by the very same angel - she couldn’t say no, because whatever she ate, she was able to lift her up with the utmost ease - they’re under the hot hot sun surrounded by a sea of tourists and locals alike, at an-

 

“-Amusement park. Really,” Hwasa pinched the bridge of her nose, rubbing her temples as she tried to rid the griping annoyance in her head. She barely got any sleep from the night before, her head was splitting apart from the breakdown she had, and here she was slowly roasting under the unexplained Eldritch being in the solar system, whose sole goal seemed to be to slowly burn the planets from inside out.

 

Wind tugged at her arm, pulling her towards the direction of a rollercoaster she’d been dying to try out since they got here. “C’mon, move your feet! Let’s go on that one!” she chirped brightly as she dragged the involuntary subject with her. Amidst the dragging, Wind had somehow finished her cone and pulled out an exclusive shiny black card out of her pocket, “We’ve got Mommy’s card, there’s nothing to fear!” 

 

Focusing on the card, the name read ‘Kang Seulgi’, with a few other numbers that she couldn’t be bothered to memorise. Hwasa scoffed, “Rub it in my face, would ya?” 

 

Wind shrugged, smiling as she slapped the card into Hwasa’s face as requested before retrieving it back. The grimace in Hwasa’s face only deepened with disgruntlement when they made way (specifically, Wind dragging her as she moves reluctantly like a log) to the ride in question. 

 

“Alright, please buckle up your safety belts. The crew will go around to check-” 

 

Giving it a little push and pull, Hwasa checked on the belt and the harness, making sure they weren’t going to send her flying out of the seat. “Y’know, I’ve never rode one of these before,” she stated simply for Wind to hear as the crew came over to do a double-check. 

 

“Really?” Wind exclaimed, getting a little too excited as she poked her head out of her seat. 

 

“Miss, please keep your head in.”

 

She impudently ignored the advice given by the staff as she swung her feet back and forth, bouncing up and down excitedly, “You’re gonna love this one!” 

 

“Miss, please-” 

 

Hwasa waved a hand, pointing back at Wind with her thumb, “Ignore her, she’s on a suicide trip.” 

 

“The ride will now be in motion. All attendants, please leave the tracks.” 

 

Wind popped her head out again, turning to look at Hwasa when the ride jerked and started moving out of the platform. “Exciting, isn’t it?” she was in smiles and giggles as she quickly slotted herself back into her seat, as if she’d never been out before. 

 

The tracks started to elevate, and the bodies hung at a 60 degrees with nothing but machinery to keep them in place. The adrenaline kicked in with each second that passed as they went higher and higher up; the thrilling sensation that ran up their neck and the nervous feeling in their gut was only new to one. Hwasa gulped, clearing the lump in her throat as she regained herself in the middle of the air. Heights was one thing she never thought she would have an issue with, but here she was, losing herself at a kiddy ride. 

 

When the ride finally came to a stop at the peak after what seemed like an eternity, a moment of panic came over Hwasa as she wondered what was wrong with the ride. Was she going to die here? Is this angel the person she was going to spend the last of her time with? What about her paycheck that’s coming in the next week? 

 

She prayed inwardly, and the only answer that came was another question from Wind, “Are you ready?!” she managed to hear her amidst all the gusts of wind that was blowing against her ears. 

 

“What?!” was all she could reply before they were plunged downwards at infinity miles per hour. Yells and screams filled the air as flashes of images of the sky, pop up stores, other rides, more pop up stores, started filling her vision. She didn’t know what she was seeing, and she didn’t care anymore. The only thing that mattered was her legs - and her entire body - that hung in the air, with no sense of support whatsoever, flying through the sky so freely with no boundaries on her. The fast winds that blew against her, and the thrills that coursed through her entire body, gave her nothing but a sense of freedom. Amidst all the screaming, she hadn’t noticed herself smiling at the newfound love for the feeling of being free.

 

It was a short moment of liberty until the ride came to a stop again, eventually ushering everyone out. Hwasa picked up her stuff from the shelf, unbeknownst to her that a certain angel was staring wide-eyed at her. 

 

“You’re smiling!” Wind chuckled, trying to get a better look at the tanned woman,”You’re enjoying this!” 

 

“I am?” she unconsciously touched the side of her lips, noticing the curls upwards, “Oh, I am.” Hwasa let out a chuckle following Wind, starting out slow, then into a full blown giggle as they made their way out of the platform of the ride. 

 

Wind swung herself forward, taking another look at Hwasa, “So, how was it?” she nudged her at her side. 

 

Hwasa thought for a bit, then started explaining, “The feeling when I was up there… It was scary at first. And then when it went down, it was all fwoosh and woosh and all I could think about was just how I could just let myself free up there and… and I could just scream my lungs out! Without a care! Man, the feeling that goes up my spine… That thrill-” she paused when Wind grinned at her, noticing she’d been going on and speaking more than usual. “I’m… rambling, aren’t I?” she rubbed the side of her head sheepishly. Perhaps, she was rambling more than usual because she’d never had anyone to talk her feelings to. Or perhaps, it was just a newfound love and experience for being able to put her frustrations out in mid air. 

 

Wind laughed, “Hehe. You are.” 

 

Before Hwasa could react, she caught herself getting pulled over by Wind to another direction, hearing her yell something along ‘let’s go on that one next!’. Instead of grudging feet, she pushed herself into a sprint this time, dragging Wind along and challenging her pace as they raced their way towards the viking ship. 

 

“Last one to get there gets a flick on the forehead! No cheating!” Hwasa grinned as her raven hair bounced while she ran and yelled back at Wind. 

 

Wind lagged behind, catching up as she laughed, “Hey, that’s not fair!” 

 

Like all stories, their day was coming to an end as the duo sat on the bench, legs spread out and heads tilted back, completely exhausted. The sunset was starting to inch its glow into the atmosphere as they sipped on the drink they had bought earlier to quench their thirst. They came dressed in their regular clothes, but now had dozens of accessories all over their outfits - Matching Mickey Mouse headbands, matching Hello Kitty sling bags, different pins because Wind wanted a Stitch, whereas Hwasa wanted an Elmo design, matching socks and several souvenirs for Hwasa to bring home to remember the day.

 

Hwasa’s gaze remained on Wind as she watched her sip on her drink, suddenly feeling all sentimental out of nowhere. It was a fun day hanging out with her, she’s not gonna lie. It was better than expected - experiencing all these new feelings, rides, giggles and laughs that she wouldn’t have let out in the day. She smiled at the thought, subconsciously staring at the smaller girl. 

 

Wind noticed her longing look, turning over and being curious, “What?” 

 

“Nothing. Just thinking. It was nice to hang out with you,” Hwasa replied, her eyes unfaltering. 

 

A blush crept up to Wind’s face, smiling back sheepishly as she elbowed her new friend, “What… That’s high praise coming from you.”

 

“Darn right, Wind. Appreciate it,” Hwasa grinned at her before turning back to sip on her own cola, reminiscing the fun day. “Hey, next time, ask me out again. Or I’ll ask you. What’s your number?” 

 

Wind shrugged, “Wind. We don’t carry phones, but we can hear who’s calling for our names. It gets irritating sometimes, but we learn to tune out white noise,” she paused, “It only works if you’re thinking of the right person though.” 

 

“Huh. Alright,” Hwasa said as a tint of mischievous shone in the glaze of her eyes. 

 

Wind’s eyes lit up the moment Hwasa took a deep breath and opened her mouth, “Don’t-” 

 

“Wind, Wind, Wind, Wind, Wind, Wind-” Hwasa started chanting as she looked far into the distance, not having a care for the girl beside her. Her lips curled upwards as Wind stared at her wide eyed, unused to the new playful side of her.

 

Her front name rang in her head physically and mentally like a chime, ripping her apart as the alarming noise griped in her brain. “Oh my Father, make it stop. Please.  _ Please _ ,” the angel begged. Why must the Almighty God install a God damned alarm in her head, why?  _ Why _ ? 

 

Hwasa giggled at the angel’s misery, watching her suffer from whatever divinery logic it was. “Just making sure it works,” she stopped her chiming and stated nonchalantly. 

 

Wind groaned, “Yeah, it works fine alright.” 

 

They got up shortly after, making their way out of the fun-filled paradise until a familiar voice called from behind them. 

 

“Oh, Wheein!” she spun around at the sound of her true name, instantly recognising the voice as her blonde friend. Byulyi waltzed towards the both of them joyfully, waving her hand in the air whilst strolling alongside a dark haired beauty who shyly followed suit. 

 

The angel in question waved back excitedly, jumping a few times in her spot as she anticipated their arrival, earning herself a look from Hwasa. “Byulie~!” she giggled, “You guys came too?” 

 

The duo eventually reached the pair, halting in their tracks as they greeted one another. 

 

Wheein chirped, looking at Hwasa as she introduced her friend, “Remember the friend I told you about? This is Byulyi.” 

 

Byulyi stretched out her hand towards the tanned lady when Wheein gestured at her, shaking her hand as they exchanged smiles. 

 

“Hwasa,” she smiled kindly at the taller lady. She earned herself a grin from said blonde, feeling her heart flutter a little. Did all angels have this effect, or was it just getting a little warm from the summer heat? 

 

Byulyi smirked, eyes full of warmth and sincere when she greeted her, “You can call me Moonbyul.” Her amorous aura radiated, teasing the mortal’s mood as she continued locking gaze with her. It was always fun to toy with them especially when they got uneasy and vulnerable at her feet. 

 

The heat rose up her cheeks again, and she felt her palms acting up - probably already perspired a few glands of sweat. Hwasa gulped as she pulled her hand away and averted her gaze before the sensual feeling crept further into her. The feeling subsided almost immediately when she’d let go of her hand, freeing herself from any form of physical contact with the angel. 

 

Wheein butted in, nudging Byulyi at her side almost too forcefully when the tall blonde yelped in pain. “Stop doing that! You’re so weird.” 

 

“But it’s fun,” Byulyi pouted, then turned her attention towards her company for the evening. “This is…” she paused momentarily, peering over at the nephilim to scan her expression before continuing. 

 

Yongsun eyed her cautiously, giving her a death glare if she dared reveal her hidden identity. “... Solar…?” Byulyi smiled apologetically, careful about her choice of words lest the singer decided to punch her in her gut.

 

Beaming, Yongsun approached them friendly, reaching her hands out and bowing as they exchanged hello’s. 

 

“Alas, I get to meet the famous mysterious alluring lady,” Wheein took a breath as she eyed Solar up and down. She was a beauty alright, but she couldn’t quite understand why Byul was making such a huge fuss about her scent and vibes. 

 

Glancing up and down, her eyes almost trailed to her bosoms before getting interjected abruptly by Byulyi’s palm at face level. Her claw gripped her face almost too harshly, causing Wheein to fall back a little unbeknownst to where she was headed to by the temporary darkness.

 

Byulyi snapped, a slight agitation in her tone, “That’s enough staring.” She turned towards Hwasa, who didn’t smell any different from a mortal, and pushed the pure angel aside, “You guys headed home?” 

 

“Mm, yeah,” Wheein regained her composure and rubbed her eyes. 

 

“Flying?”

 

Hwasa’s eyes widened, almost retching at the thought of the last flight with said angel. She shook her head immediately, denying the possibility of any divine uber services, “No. Definitely not.”

 

Byulyi laughed, and she could only imagine what the lass had been through. “I see you’ve already experienced it for the first time. It won’t be that bad the second-” 

 

“-No. Nope. No way,” A flurry of declines slipped Hwasa’s mouth, seemingly unable to get rid of the unforgettable experience. 

 

The angels giggled and shared laughter at the inexperienced lass before Byulyi excused herself with her company for the night. 

 

“Well, I’ll see you at Seulgi’s later, Wheein,” Byulyi said as she strolled by the shorter immortal. 

 

“Yeah, see you, Byul-ah,” Wheein replied. 

 

As the unusual duo watched their silhouettes fade out in the distance, Hwasa let her thoughts manifest into words, “So your name’s not actually Wind?” 

 

Wheein looked over at the tanned lady, then made a move as she started a pace for them. “Well, yes and no. It’s a front name, since mortals can’t speak our true name without us giving it to them first,” she explained as they roamed the other direction where the other couple had left. 

 

“Wheein.” 

 

The angel stopped in her tracks, rotating her head ever-so-slowly towards Hwasa as her mouth hung agape at the sound of her true name escaping from a mortal’s breath. 

 

“W-What did you say?” she was clearly baffled by the whole scenario. 

 

“Wheein,” Hwasa said inexplicably. She cocked her head to the side, eyeing Wheein as she stared at her in a slight confusion. She could say it out perfectly fine, and she didn’t see a problem with speaking her name whatsoever. Perhaps, the angel was just making a huge fuss out of all these unspeakable names and rules. 

 

No mortal was able to say her name with such ease since the time she was born. Perhaps it was something related to her devilish blood? But it wouldn’t make sense if even Byulyi couldn’t sniff her out amongst the sea of mortals. Wheein shook her head, clearing her thoughts as she bit her thumb - trying to figure out everything that was defying the rules in the universe. She looked at Hwasa again, trying to clear her headache as she squeezed her eyes shut.

 

“Just… What the hell are you?” 

 

* * *

 

“I don’t get it.”

 

“What don’t you get this time?” Byulyi watched her usual friend down another shot at the bar. Seriously, what’s up with this angel trying to get herself drunk when she’s clearly immortal? 

 

Lashing out at Byulyi, Wheein waved her arms around as she slammed the cup down onto the countertop again. “Hwasa! She spoke my name! And she’s mortal!” 

 

Byulyi shrugged, giving her a nonchalant look as she waved at someone across the nightclub who seemed to have waved back when a smile crept up her face, grinning from ear to ear. She turned over to look at Wheein again, watching her distressed form slouch over the bar top as she struggled to find answers in her head - gripping and pulling her hair out. 

 

“Well, she could just be a devil like you said.” 

 

Her hair was a mess when she turned over abruptly, strands of brown lined against her face as she stared at Byulyi with crazed eyes. “But it doesn’t make sense! You smelled her! You said she smelled like a mortal! Not even a fallen or a decaying!” 

 

Byulyi merely scoffed. Maybe Wheein’s just thinking too much into this. It’s just another being, so why did she care so much for this non-immortal non-mortal person anyway? She shrugged again, giving another fuck-all answer, “Maybe she’s a nephilim?” She really couldn’t care less about the unidentified creature that her friend seemed to be so obsessed about. 

 

Wheein slammed her palms into the bar top, earning a few glances around as she almost yelled at Byulyi, “You’re dating a nephilim! Your nephilim girlfriend’s sister’s a nephilim! Seulgi’s girlfriend is a nephilim!-”

 

“What do you want?” Irene’s lazy voice came from behind the counter as the commotion ensued. 

 

“-You know how nephilims smell like!” Her agitated self almost crushed the top of the counter if only Seulgi hadn’t been holding it up with her reparative powers under the surface. 

 

The club owner smiled gently yet menacingly, “Wheein, sweetie, please.” She gestured at the almost-damaged furniture, prompting Wheein to apologise softly before continuing to yell at her fallen friend. 

 

“Which part of ‘This is going beyond the rules of the Universe’ do you not understand!” Her arms extended out to grab Byulyi instead, shaking her back and forth like she always did.

 

Byulyi let herself get shoved around as usual, seemingly jaded at Wheein’s temperamental outlashes whenever she was dejected. 

 

“Why, Byul, why! What’s happening!” Wheein cried out in distress, “Why am I the only one who smells devil on her? Why can she call out my name? Why! And why can’t she remember anything! Why?!” 

 

Byulyi’s head dangled at her side. She didn’t particularly care about the whole phenomenon, but she found it strange as well - According to her knowledge in the past 28 centuries, she hadn’t seen a decaying revert nor retain any sort of divine ability after they’d gone completely mortal. What’s weirder was that Wheein was the only one who could pick up her devilish scent, even though she clearly had a higher status than her baby junior did. Then again, nobody else could pick up the scent that Yongsun was giving off except her. 

 

She shrugged again, “Maybe you’ve met her before?” 

 

“... What?” 

 

“Maybe you’ve met her before. What’s your earliest memory of her?” Byulyi pressed for answers. She wasn’t sure if her hunch was right, but something definitely happened in the past when Wheein hadn’t hung out with her until recently. 

 

Wheein looked at her senior in confusion, raising her brows as she asked quizzically, “What do you mean? I picked up her scent a few weeks ago and only recently we started hangin-”

 

“-Are you sure about that?” Byulyi cut her off, “When did she surface? And what were you doing when that happened?”

 

“I…” Wheein paused to recall what Hwasa told her, “3 years ago… I was… I was hanging out with you, wasn’t I?” 

 

“3 years ago, and what about before? The past 12 centuries you’ve been away? What have you been up to?” It wasn’t simply just questions, but she was rather genuinely curious as well. Ever since Wheein left and suddenly came back, she never got a direct answer from where she had been and what she’d been doing. All she ever got was ‘just here and there’ and ‘nothing much’, and she’d let it slip.

 

“I… I was hanging out with you… and then I…” Wheein paused, trying to remember whatever that happened to her. It was strange. She always had the best memory and she would never leave out a single detail in any scenario, but she couldn’t - for the love of God - remember who she hung out with, where, and whatever that happened. 

 

There were flashes of memories, fuzzy noises in the background and the blurry faces of whoever was with her. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t get a clear image of the memory. Who was that in her consciousness? What were they doing? It seemed like they were having fun, and then flashes of memories jolted by again, and now they were… in anguish…? 

 

Wheein gulped, looking up at Byulyi and feeling her stomach sink at the recollection, “... I don’t… remember…” Everything in her head was distorted for the past dozen centuries. One day she was with her mortal friends, the next with Byulyi, and the other with this faceless person she couldn’t seem to make out of her thoughts. 

 

Fear and anxiety squirmed their way up her neck, and for the first time in a long while, Wheein felt nervous and vulnerable. Her lips quivered and her heart was shaken to its core, causing her fingers to tremble before her as she looked at the fallen angel helplessly in revulsion. Waves of uncertainty crashed into her very existence and, for once, she felt defenseless. For all she could remember, immortals never had a weakness - save for divine weapons. 

 

“... Byul…” her words convulsed and vibrated at her shaky tone, “What’s… What’s going on…?” 

 

It was absurd; this whole situation. There was no explanation for anything like this in all of divine history. Not one, but two cases of amnesiacs? Something was definitely going on, and the invisible man in the sky wasn’t planning on telling anyone what he was up to. Byulyi cursed in her mind while pondering about the possibilities of how it came to happen. A punishment? For what? 

 

The distressed whines broke her train of thought. “Byul… Am I… going to fall…? Am I… dying?-” Wheein caught herself choking on her own words. She didn’t want to die, not when she hadn’t seen the world ‘til its last moments. She didn’t want to leave without lending her aid to her fullest capabilities. She didn’t want to disappoint the Man who made her whole and gave her life. Tears threatened to fall from her eyes when she looked back up at her friend, “Byul...-”

 

Byulyi grabbed her small hands, wrapping them with her own warmth as she looked square into Wheein’s eyes, orbs filled with dazzling resolution. “You’re not dying. You’re not going anywhere without me. And we are going to find out why,” she paused, watching Wheein nod a few times before continuing, “We’ll find out what’s going on. Alright?” 

 

Watching Wheein dipped her head a few times as she tried to calm herself down, Byulyi pulled her into a tight embrace, thumbs rubbing small circles on her back to soothe her anxiousness. It was one thing forcefully ripping her apart from her beloved; it was another thing binding her to Earth. But, Wheein? Wheein had done nothing to deserve this treatment.

 

Byulyi hissed under her breath, growling ever so slightly as she gathered her once extinguished rage back whole again. Flames reignited, and her determination for vengeance was reaffirmed itself again. She swore that she would get to the bottom of this, that she would settle the score between her and God once and for all. 

 

“No more,” she spoke to no one in particular as she held the trembling girl in her arms, “No one else is getting taken away from me.” 

 

* * *

 

The comfort of the mattress invited her to its soft, cuddly and warm embrace. Hwasa plopped down onto her bed, feeling the fatigue and exhaustion of her body get absorbed away by the wonders and magical powers of modern comfort. She hadn’t been out for the longest time she could remember, and the only thing she’d been doing was work, work and work. The other thing she wouldn’t admit was not having friends: Loco’s a friend, right? 

 

She laid on her belly, turning her head to the side and looking at her phone to catch up on social media. Her thumb swiped the screen upwards, and her eyes looked dazed and particularly uninterested in the newsfeed. Scrolling by, she noticed her boss’s account popping up - sharing some life event and achievement at work. 

 

“Kang Seulgi... Speaking of which, nobody actually called her by her name, did they?” Hwasa spoke to herself, and she recalled back to the times in the office, “That’s right, everyone called her Ms. Kang or boss.” 

 

She took a deep breath, relieving the pent up tension inside her as she flipped herself over on her back. Was is that big of a deal that she could speak the immortals’ true names? 

 

“How do you just… say it with ease?!” Wheein’s words rang in her head from earlier events, “This doesn’t make sense at all… What are you, really?”

 

Hwasa let out a long sigh, “What am I, really?” If anything, she was probably the most puzzled person over herself ever since the day Wheein came bursting through her life and wrecking up her existential and identity crisis all over again. She thought she’d got over that, but here she was back at square one. 

 

For as long as she could date back, she appeared out of thin air, had no records whatsoever, and now she’s related to this whole divinery shit? And how’s she gonna find out who she was, if nobody was going to answer any of her questions? 

 

Inhaling the air in her house, she let out another sharp exhale as she pondered aloud, “What am I…” 

 

* * *

 

The music slowly came to a halt and the lights dimmed for the night. Cheers spread throughout the crowd after the splendid performance had ended, earning the dancers some many wolf whistles and lots of joyous applause. 

 

Fighting the dizziness off her, she managed to find her footing down the stairs of the dark area but was swept off the ground as soon as she was two steps away from the actual floor. Yongsun felt her waist getting grappled by a slim arm, and her body was against a lean frame. She laughed as she held onto the figure for support instinctively and landed on her feet gracefully as she gently let her down. 

 

“Good work,” Byulyi praised, kissing her on the side of her head as she pulled her in. She didn’t really mind the sweat that was sticking onto her - and still is trickling down her face; after all, what’s a little sweat to keep the affection away? 

 

Yongsun grinned, her bright red lips planting across her face, “Thank you. Do you always watch?” 

 

Byulyi smiled warmly, feeling her heart flutter at the sight of her smile. “All the time. You, specifically. How can I resist?” 

 

She recalled the days where she hadn’t yet officially made a move on her, silently watching her performances on stage - watching her try her very best to amaze the crowd and gain recognition for her talent. They were very subtle details, but she had always noticed how she strained herself to impress the crowd, the slight grimace on her face every time she transitioned from an invert to a cartwheel, the slight fear in her scent whenever she did an airdrop down the pole, the sense of satisfaction in her expression whenever she ended her performance and she received a round of applause. Every little detail mattered, and it was what made Byulyi attracted to her in the first place. So alluring, so pretty, so hardworking; So beautiful. 

 

Her hand cupped the side of Yongsun’s face, giving her chubby cheeks a slight squeeze before leaning into an eskiimo kiss. 

 

They exchanged thousands of tiny little affections, giggling and laughing at everything they do and say until a voice called out from behind them. 

 

The voice was slightly high for a man’s and a little off the local accent, as if he was American or something. 

 

“Oh? Yongsun! Yongsun-ah!” he called out in the crowd as he etched his way through the sea of people. 

 

Watching as the man pushed through and made his way towards them, Byulyi draped her blazer around the nephilim’s shoulders, making sure she was covered from the man’s sights. Her arm slinked out from behind Yongsun, across her collarbones and held her in place by her shoulder; her grip soft but firm. Her gaze glowered at the approaching sore sight. After all, she wasn’t so fond of sharing what’s hers. 

 

Byulyi’s nose twitched at the scent. _An angel._ _An_ arch _angel._

 

Feeling Byulyi tense up against her, Yongsun peered back at the fallen angel before the voice distracted her again and she swung her head around to look for whoever was calling out her name. God, she wished he’d stop calling her by that name already. 

 

Looking around, she finally caught sight of the man and all her annoyance diminished in an instance. She instinctively waved while her other hand held Byulyi’s that was hanging off her shoulder, “Eric!” she shouted enthusiastically, “Hey!” 

 

Eric finally found a spot for himself in front of the pair, looking down at the girl in question who seemed to have a leech attached to her. He ignored the unpleasant presence, and greeted the lovely girl while fixing his slicked back hair, “Hey! Fancy seeing you here!” he exclaimed delightedly, “How’ve you been? It’s been so long since we last saw each other.” 

 

“Oh, nothing much. Here and there, same ol’ with my dual-identity,” she rolled her eyes and gave a smile. 

 

“Yeah?” he grinned heartily, “Sounds like you’re having fun.” 

 

She laughed politely while covering her mouth. As she retracted her hand, she’d almost forgotten that Byulyi was still holding onto her in place, and was rather too close and personal for comfort. Really, why was she behaving like this? 

 

She stammered for words, almost forgetting to introduce the two of them to one another. She gestured at Byulyi, reaching over behind to grab and rub her head with her face planted into her neck, “This is-” 

 

“-Moonbyul,” she mumbled against her neck, but loud enough for the arch to hear. She lifted her gaze, glaring at him and he merely stared back at her. 

 

His eyes lowered square at the blonde girl, and for a split second, Yongsun felt a heavy tension between the two immortals. The air was heavy and the music drowned out in the presence of the silent atmosphere. For a moment, Yongsun thought she saw a scowl on Eric’s face amidst the flashy bright lights. 

 

“Eric.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i'm extremely sorry for not updating in a while! i have been caught up with work and i didn't expect the chapter to be put off for so long TT i'll definitely make it up to everyone, i promise! again, thank you all so much for reading!


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